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Quanza and Amali disappeared for hours. The Keepers couldn’t figure out where they had gone to hide, and none of the others could tell where they’d wandered off to. Amali was lucky to be taken to a green, lush area away from her friends, where she and Quanza found a big acacia tree that had been pulled down by a strong wind. They celebrated by feasting on it, while the other orphans remained unaware. However, Kapei caught the scent and, along with Kiombo and Kiasa, led the other orphans to Quanza and Amali’s private feast.

Murera and Enkesha brought Mwana over to Amali. When Mwana spotted her, she rushed to see her — she loves Amali like her elder sister. Amali rolled her little trunk around Mwana’s neck, showing her affection for the young baby girl. Later, Amali escorted Mwana to the branches to get her own little bites to enjoy. Sonje joined them with Faraja and Alamaya, who came from the Chyulu Hills. A late-arriving wild herd of females with two babies also joined the orphans, but their mother kept Kiasa and Lima Lima at a distance, not allowing them close to the babies. She was cautious, fearing that the orphans might try to whisk the babies away.

Today was a wonderful day: At last, it rained, catching the animals and elephants off guard. Little babies Mwana and Amali tried to run back to the stockades, but they couldn’t convince Murera to agree with their plan to return. When Mwana moved to her mother, Murera thought she wanted to nurse from her, but Mwana kept pushing her to move. When Murera realised what Mwana wanted, Murera pushed her aside to discipline her and teach her to behave. This didn’t sit well with Mwana, who screamed in dissatisfaction, but Murera ignored her and moved away. Despite the rain, the whole herd followed Murera’s lead into the forest, and Mwana had no choice but to follow suit.

The herd listened to where Murera and Sonje decided to take them, which was up to the Chyulu Hills. The shrubs were very wet, so Mwana walked carefully to avoid stepping on the slick mud. Enkesha and Kiasa walked on either side of her, slowly guiding the baby up the slippery path.

Since it rained a few days ago, the orphans were in a hurry to find new, fresh greens. They haven’t sprouted yet, but that didn’t stop the orphans from trying. They have stopped wallowing now that many water pans are full, making it easy to cool off whenever they want. 

Mwana and Amali had some baby playtime together, with Amali trying to teach Mwana how to play the pushing games. Mwana showed her strength, and Amali found that Mwana had lots of energy, pushing her without tiring. Amali got bored when Kapei tried to join them, and Mwana wasn’t happy to see Kapei around, knowing he can be rough and isn’t good at playing with younger babies like herself.

Today, the orphans didn’t run for their milk bottles as they usually do. This was especially unusual for Kapei and Enkesha, who often start running as soon as they spot the bottles lined up. Today, however, they slowly walked in, likely due to the heat. Murera was the last to arrive with her Keepers behind her; she walked slowly, as if she wasn’t very interested in her bottle today. 

A bushbuck came along the way and tried to walk in front of Mwashoti, who then opened his trunk to trumpet and charged at the bushbuck. This seemed to spark everyone to start charging at the bushbuck until the small antelope ran out of sight from the orphans.

Kapei became greedy when he came and found Mwana and Amali peacefully having their meal at the pellets. He went to pull Amali by her tail, then turned to push the baby Mwana. This ended his chance to eat close to the little ones. Quanza intervened, and then Mwana's mother stepped in, asserting her authority as the head girl. Kapei, realising he was in trouble, retreated into the bushes, leaving Murera to get close to her baby and the little nanny, Amali. Later, Enkesha joined Mwana, and the herd moved to Kenzili for more greens and some peace.

Some monkeys followed little Mwana and Amali, but the elephants' defence was tight. The monkeys climbed to the tops of the trees in fear as the elephants began to charge and blow loud trumpets to ensure the interlopers would not return and bother the little ones.

It started with a good morning today. Before midday, some wild elephants passed by the bushes where the orphans had settled to take a break and browse. Murera was not comfortable with the wild herd around her group and took the little babies a short distance away. Kiasa and Enkesha blocked anyone from trying to get close to Mwana, while Amali stuck to her ‘little sister’ like glue. Murera and Sonje stood close to provide extra protection.

Meanwhile, Kiombo, Kapei, Maktao, and Mwashoti did not follow the girls’ group, thinking they were ‘big brothers’ and could get along with the wild herd. This proved to be a miscalculation, as the wild herd were not very welcoming. When Mwashoti, the eldest brother, let out a scream, Kiombo realised things had taken a turn and quickly made his way back to the girls. Maktao also followed, and soon all the boys were running to Murera and Sonje.

Zongoloni and Quanza arrived to check on the babies. However, they found that little Amali, who despite being a young elephant has promising leadership qualities, had things under control with regards to Mwana. She brought the baby to safety, and Zongoloni found them happily settled under Murera’s protection.

The nightclubbers didn’t show up this morning as they usually do. The orphans came out looking for them, with Amali, Kiasa, and Mwana searching around to see if they could spot Sonje, Quanza, Lima Lima, and Zongoloni, but they didn’t see them. The Keepers hoped they would all appear by mud bath time, but only Quanza showed up.

Quanza tried to take her place next to Mwana, but Murera worried that she might let her baby wander too far. Murera stood between Quanza and Mwana, giving only Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha the freedom to walk with her baby. 

Meanwhile, Kapei and Kiombo joined Maktao to get some distance from the head girls so they could have their own space to play. Kapei started the game by climbing on Kiombo, and then Maktao took his turn. But with two elephants on top of him, Kiombo quickly became overwhelmed. Seizing a brief window of opportunity, he ran to hide in the bushes. Maktao followed him, while Kapei, who had been warned by Kiombo, shyly stayed back. 

The orphans came out of their bedtime stockades to join the nightclubbers, who were already waiting for them by the gate. Sonje promptly grabbed Mwana from Kiasa. This upset Kiasa, but there was nothing she could do to stop the matriarch from taking the baby. Mwana seemed happy to move around with Sonje.

Several buffaloes approached the open fields, looking to enjoy the fresh grass that had sprouted there. The nannies made a blockade around Mwana to prevent her from going near them, as it could have been dangerous. Murera made her baby call, which prompted Amali to bring Mwana to her as Murera wanted.

Later, the elephants moved to the Kenzili area for more browsing. As they walked toward the rocks, they spotted klipspringers watching them from the rocky lava area. Kapei stopped and tried to scare them by waving his trunk. This caused the small antelope to run away, but it also startled Kapei and sent him dashing back to the herd.

The elephants found plenty of food at the top of the Kenzili hills. They were having such a nice time that it was difficult to call them down to return home. The Keepers spent hours calling Enkesha and Kiasa in the hope they would lead the herd back with Murera and her friends, but the elephants remained focused on eating until it got dark.

Around midnight, the orphans returned and stood behind the stockades, demanding their milk bottles, which they had missed in the evening. Murera was the closest to the gate and was the first to enter the stockades before the rest were allowed in.

Wild elephants came to join the orphans along the Kenzili area while the orphans were browsing on the hills, trying to find more to eat. This wild herd had some small babies with them, and Enkesha, who loves babies, left Mwana to approach one. Unsurprisingly, the baby’s protective mother blocked her path.

Enkesha’s friends quickly intervened to spare her punishment from the wild herd. Kiasa rumbled to warn Enkesha not to attempt getting too close to the baby and to instead return to Kiasa and the other friends. Enkesha was fortunate when Lima Lima and Sonje arrived to help her escape. Enkesha stood among the older nannies and felt safe. Unaware of all the drama, Amali and Kapei continued playing on each other's backs.

In the afternoon, the Kenzili area became boring for the babies. Sonje and Murera consulted each other before deciding to relocate to the other side of Kenze, where fresh grass was shooting up after the rains. The elephants followed Murera and Sonje’s lead.

Meanwhile, some buffaloes frightened Alamaya, who was with Mwashoti. Both Alamaya and Mwashoti ran to where the Keepers were seated, telling stories, and stood close to them for safety. Later, they moved again with the orphans and Keepers to another area to browse on fresh greens — they were not taking any chances for more buffalo encounters.

As they came closer to home, Amali presented herself as the leader and made it clear that she wanted to guide the babies back. However, it was still too early to return home, so Amali had to wait until it was time for everyone to head back to the stockades.

Faraja once again made an appearance today. He chose to join the babies this morning and was warmly welcomed by Mwashoti, who walked over to him. They both raised their trunks and intertwined them in a friendly gesture, like a hug. Watching this, Maktao and Kiombo tried to copy what they were doing with their trunks. However, Kiombo, being just a young bull, couldn’t do it as well as Faraja and Mwashoti.

Kiombo then began sparring with Maktao, but Maktao was not interested in fighting and only wanted to play. He moved away, trying to avoid Kiombo, who continued to push for a fight. Little Kapei stepped in, inviting Kiombo to play with him instead. Unfortunately, Kapei found himself in trouble when he tried to engage an older and much stronger elephant. One strong push from Kiombo sent Kapei tumbling to the ground.

Enkesha quickly came over to help Kapei, giving him the support he wanted. Once he was up, Kapei glanced towards Sonje, as if hoping that she would discipline Kiombo for his actions. However, Sonje was busy at the dust pile with Quanza and had not noticed the incident.

The orphans had a hurried walk in the morning. Immediately after finishing their breakfast lucerne pellets, Sonje took off, leading the herd into the hills. The Keepers tried calling the names of everyone, but only Enkesha responded. After a moment, she followed her friends to Kenzili, where Sonje had chosen to go. 

Murera, as usual, was much slower. With a deep rumble, she warned Sonje to slow down for her. Sonje stopped and waited for Murera while the little nannies enjoyed playing and rolling on one of the slippery ant hills.

Kiombo and Maktao found a good spot on the ant hills to have one of their famous play-fighting games. Maktao scrambled to the top and pushed Kiombo. Kiombo’s feet couldn’t grip the wet ground, forcing him to slide down and admit defeat.

Sonje and her friends reported too late this morning — the orphans were already at the top of the Umani Hills. Sonje rumbled, wanting to locate her littlest friends, Amali and Mwana. As soon as Amali heard Sonje rumbling, she ran to her, followed closely by Mwana. 

Little Mwana rushed under Sonje’s legs and began breastfeeding. Unfortunately, she bit Sonje, which caused her nanny to push her aside. Mwana complained bitterly, even though she had been in the wrong. Murera didn’t seem bothered, knowing that her baby was simply being ungrateful to her nannies. Kiasa and Enkesha were initially concerned by Mwana’s complaints, but they soon realised that she was just being greedy.

Maktao wandered towards the peak of the Umani Hills, where he found himself surrounded by buffaloes, who blocked his path. Maktao retreated and began rumbling and blowing his trunk to call for help. Quanza, along with Maktao’s close friends Kiombo and Kapei, arrived to see what was happening. When Maktao saw them, he welcomed their support, but they were outnumbered by buffaloes. The elephants decided to move off and left the buffaloes to graze on the hills undisturbed.

Quanza remained behind to be with the little babies when her friends left her while going to Chyulu. Both Lima Lima and Sonje left in a hurry together with Mwashoti, the only boy who accompanied them. Sonje tried to take Quanza away with them, but Quanza made her way back to the other girls, as she wanted to stay with Amali and Murera and help Murera take care of the baby.

Kapei could not give Kiombo time to relax and started pushing him around. This was not good for Maktao, who is always a friend to Kiombo. Maktao came and showed Kapei a direction to go, leaving Kiombo alone to play with him as they always did as boys. Kapei, being still very young, couldn’t match Kiombo’s strength. This became clear when Kiombo gave him one push, and he was knocked down. This proved to Maktao that Kapei wasn’t ready to push around with Kiombo.

Enkesha walked over to help Kapei, but she struggled until Kiasa joined her. Together, the girls helped Kapei get up from the ground. By this time, Kiombo had gone off with Maktao and the head girls, who didn’t want them to fight.

At mud bath time, all the elephants came to the waterhole after taking their midday bottles. The little babies ran to the shallow puddles filled with rainwater. Amali, who was leading them, was the first to test the water to see if it was warm or cold. When Amali found the water was warm, she called Mwana, and both little girls started rubbing their bottoms in the mud to relieve themselves of ticks.

Murera kept her distance, letting the babies enjoy themselves while she browsed on soft green grass. However, the fun stopped when Kapei began bothering little Mwana. Everyone moved onto the next activity, with Mwana and Kapei bickering all the while.

Big rain started this morning just as the elephants began their journey to the Kibwezi Forest. Before Sonje and Quanza could gather the babies and show them the way, a heavy storm caused a large tree to fall, forcing everyone to run for safety. The Keepers stayed behind the babies to keep order, while the nannies trumpeted loudly as they searched for Mwana and Amali. Fortunately, Mwana and Amali were at the front of the group, leading the way.

After the heavy downpour, the elephants settled on top of the hills, browsing on the new green shoots, which everyone enjoyed. While they were busy browsing, several buffaloes encountered Sonje and Lima Lima rolling in a waterhole. Lima Lima mock-charged to send them away, but two buffaloes continued to move forward, forcing her to run toward the other nannies.

Kiasa and Quanza came to investigate and found the buffaloes already inside the waterhole, enjoying their time in the water. The stubborn visitors just watched the elephants, refusing to move. Later, Enkesha approached and tried to trumpet at the buffaloes, but her damaged trunk made it sound more like a whistle. Realising they had lost the battle, the orphans moved to another location.

This morning, Kapei rushed to the waterhole and started swimming around the other little ones. Kiasa watched him closely, taking care to ensure he did not push Amali aside. Soon, the swimmers were joined by Mwashoti and Kiombo, turning it into a big contest between the girls and boys. The girls won the contest, with Mwana and Enkesha finishing their swimming very well. The boys, who gave up the competition, left the waterhole for play-fighting.

Kiombo and Mwashoti were having such a spirited pushing match that Quanza felt the need to step in and help stop the fighting. Murera and Sonje kept their distance, but Murera sent Sonje over to warn them to stop before she came herself. After the warning, which was well received by the boys, all the orphans moved to Chyulu for browsing time.

Before they could reach their browsing spot, Lima Lima and Alamaya appeared from the bushes and joined the babies. At first, the babies didn’t seem to recognise Alamaya. But when he walked over to his old friend, Mwashoti, they realised it was indeed Alamaya, after many days of being away. 

Upon reaching the hills, the orphans encountered a large herd of buffalo sleeping on the slopes, unwilling to move. Kapei and Kiombo, feeling confident, attempted to scare the buffalo away, but their efforts were futile against the sheer number of buffalo. Some buffalo got up and charged at the elephants, forcing the orphans and Keepers to retreat.

Sonje, along with Quanza and little Enkesha, avoided the buffalo entirely. They were unsettled by the sight of them shaking their heads and flapping their ears in warning. The Keepers decided to redirect the group to another location free from buffalo.

Lima Lima, with help from Sonje and Quanza, moved towards the edges of Kenzili. They worked together to stay clear of the larger wild herd and some ex-orphans who had joined the group. When they attempted to return to Murera and Mwana, Quanza blocked Mwana and Amali from straying too far, concerned that the little girls might get lost if they wandered off with the wild herd.

On top of Kenzili Hills, the orphans found an abundance of lush green vegetation and became so busy browsing that they lost track of time, ignoring the usual midday bottle-feeding schedule. The Keepers eventually had to bring the milk bottles up to the hills.

Kapei and Kiombo were the first to notice the approaching vehicle and quickly ran towards it. Kapei rumbled loudly to alert the others. The rest of the orphans emerged from their hideouts and eagerly gathered around the vehicle to enjoy their milk bottles.