Keepers' Diaries, October 1999
Voi Reintegration Unit
Stories of Lissa, Edo, Nudme, Malaika, and much more..
01 October 1999
Edo and Ndume were with Malaika today, but on the 2nd Malaika and her family were alone.
03 October 1999
On the 3rd the Orphans met a wild group briefly on their way back in the evening and on the 4th Edo and Ndume arrived at the Stockade before Malaika.
04 October 1999
On the 3rd the Orphans met a wild group briefly on their way back in the evening and on the 4th Edo and Ndume arrived at the Stockade before Malaika.
05 October 1999
On the 5th Malaika's group again met up with Edo and Ndume at 9.30 a.m. who were with some wild elephants. They remained together and all had mudbath together. When the wild elephants departed, Edo and Ndume remained with Malaika.
07 October 1999
The 6th was uneventful and on the 7th the Orphans joined a wild group briefly.
08 October 1999
On the 8th, they met up with Edo and Ndume at the back of the hill. Malaika took her family to the mudbath alone because Edo and Ndume did not want to come, but after mudbath, she joined them again. On the way back to the Stockades in the evening the Orphans met Lissa and her family.
09 October 1999
On the 9th Ndume was with Malaika. Lissa and her group came to water at the Stockades with Edo at 1 p.m. and returned again at 4 p.m. when Edo remained, meeting up with Ndume and Malaika when they arrived back.
10 October 1999
On the 10th the Orphans joined Catherine's group near the Research Centre. Imenti and Uaso enjoyed playing with calves their size. After the mudbath they hjoined up with Edo and Ndume.
11 October 1999
On the llth, Ndume and Edo were with Malaika when she left in the morning and at 9.30 a.m. they met up with Lissa's group. Later at 11.15 a.m. the Orphans were joined by 10 wild elephants with whom they remained until after the mudbath. They again met Lissa and her family back at the Stockades.
12 October 1999
On the 12th, only Edo and Ndume joined the orphan group and were with them all day, only departing from the Stockades at midnight.
13 October 1999
The next morning (13th) Malaika followed the route taken by Edo and Ndume and met up with them at 8 a.m. on the West side of the hill.
14 October 1999
On the 14th only Edo joined Malaika until a wild cow with one tusk tempted him to leave her for a short while, but he returned later.
15 October 1999
On the 15th only Ndume and Edo were with the orphan group, but were absent the next day until they met up at the Stockade in the evening.
17 October 1999
On 17th Malaika met Edo and Ndume on the East side of the hill. At 4 p.m. they all met a herd of 6 wild elephants with l small baby, with whom they spent l hour. Malaika left Edo and Ndume with this group when it was time to return to the Stockade.
18 October 1999
On the 18th at 6.30 a.m. the Orphans met a wild group of elephants on the East side of the hill and remained with them until 11 a.m. when the orphans left for the mudbath. They were joined at 4 p.m. by Edo and at the Stockades later by Ndume.
19 October 1999
On the 19th the Orphans met a wild herd on the East Side of the hill at 8 a.m. and were with them until 11.30 a.m. when it was time to go to the mudbath. Edo and Ndume arrived at the Stockades from the West side of the hill 20 minutes after Malaika that evening.
20 October 1999
On the 20th Malaika found the 2 Boys on the East side of the hill and was with them for the day
21 October 1999
On the 21st at 6 a.m. Catherine's group consisting of 8 elephants and l small baby joined them below Daniel's house and remained with them until 9 a.m. Ndume and Edo turned up at the Stockade in the evening.
22 October 1999
On the 22nd Edo and Ndume were with the Orphans and were met by a wild group on the way to the wallow, who joined them for the mudbath and then left.
25 October 1999
The 23rd and 24th found Edo and Ndume with Malaika's group but no contact with wild elephants, whilst on the 25th Edo remained behind whilst the others returned to the stockades.
29 October 1999
On the 29th Edo joined Malaika on the East side of the hill, but Ndume was absent.
30 October 1999
On the 30th Edo missed Malaika when she left the Stockades in the morning, but followed the route she had taken, meeting up with her at 12.30 p.m. and remaining with her the rest of the day.
31 October 1999
After the mudbath on the 31st, Malaika joined Edo and Dika who were shading themselves under a nearby tree.