In Nairobi, October began with a downpour of rain at dawn, followed by persistent drizzle. As a result, the Keepers kept the ‘blanket babies’ — Taroha, Mokogodo, Talek, Pardamat, and Raha (the baby rhino) — inside their stables, with their blue and red blankets tied tightly around their tummies. The older orphans were shepherded out to the forest, but the mini matriarchs were unsettled without the babies in their midst. When they made their way into the forest a few hours later, Ahmed, Sileita, and Latika rumbled loudly in delight and ran towards them. Fussing over and trunk touching their little charges, they escorted them out to join the herd.
There was a downpour of rain at dawn followed by persistent drizzle. As a result, the Keepers kept the ‘blanket babies’ — Taroha, Mokogodo, Talek, Pardamat, and Raha (the baby rhino) — inside their stables, with their blue and red blankets tied tightly around their tummies, so they could stay warm and dry. They opened the gates of the older orphans’ bedrooms and shepherded them out to the forest. As they stood in a cluster in a clearing, Ahmed, Sileita, Latika and Weka wiggled between the other elephants, looking for the babies rather than settling down to browse. A few hours later, the little ones emerged from their stables and toddled out to join the herd, accompanied by a Keeper. Ahmed, Sileita and Latika spotted the four orphans when they were still a distance away. They rumbled loudly in delight and ran towards them. Fussing over and trunk touching their little charges, they escorted them out to join the herd.
Later in the morning, the first group of younger orphans padded down the path for their bottles of milk at the mud bath. The sun was shining as Mzinga, Nyambeni and Shujaa paddled into the pool for a splash and a swim followed by Taroha, Mokogodo, Talek, Mageno, Kitich and Kerrio. They rolled around with trunks waving happily until Shujaa began play-mounting his friends, much to their annoyance. It was time-out time for the naughty boy! The Keepers whisked him off and sent him to stand under a tree so that Nyambeni, Taroha, Mokogodo, Mzinga and Talek could wallow in peace.
In the forest in the afternoon, the orphans wandered far afield, browsing and playing and browsing some more. Shujaa, Sileita and Taabu rolled around together, bumping into each other as they covered their bodies with soothing soil. While Sileita was lying on the ground, Shujaa knelt on her and then clambered onto her belly. He cannot resist mounting a lying-down orphan! Luckily, sweet Sileita was happy to tolerate his antics.
All the orphans headed out to the forest on a clear dry morning. The blanket babies hovered around their nannies as some of the big boys and girls played pushing and chasing games. Loldaiga, Kitich and Mageno, who are almost age-mates, were enjoying a noisy contest of strength, wrestling with each other amid trumpeting and tossing of heads. As Kitich clashed heads with Mageno, cheeky Loldaiga took hold of Kitich’s back leg, thus preventing him from using his strength. Kitich was forced to break off and turn around and challenge Loldaiga, whereupon Mageno attempted to mount him. Poor Kitich was being ganged up on by his two friends! Watching from the sidelines, older bull Taabu took charge. He strolled over and chased Loldaiga away, giving him a taste of his own medicine by pretending to mount the younger bull.
Elsewhere in the forest, little Raha was enjoying a milk feed. After slowly emptying her bottle, she carefully rubbed her tiny horn against the bark of a shrub. She was attempting to sharpen her horn, a useful skill for a rhino. Arriving at the mud bath later in the morning, she was so full of energy that she scampered around before lying down for her daily dust bath. She rolled with legs akimbo as her Keeper shovelled soil all over her, her prone position showing that she felt safe under the care of her Keeper.
When Sholumai was rescued in April, she was a sack of bones. Several months later, she has been transformed into a strong healthy elephant with flat ears and a rotund belly. With strength has come confidence. Today, she was being pushy at the mud bath, shoving Loldaiga and Choka for no apparent reason. Although the Keepers told her off, they were also pleased to see the change in her behaviour and the contrast with the weak orphan unable to stand up for herself. Choka pushed her down once soon after she arrived at the Nursery. Today, she was taking her revenge – as elephants never forget!
The Keepers opened the gates soon after dawn and the orphans padded out of their stockades. This morning, Sileita led the herd out to the forest where they spread out to browse in a clearing. Newbie Talek browsed contentedly next to a group of Keepers enjoying early morning cups of tea. She makes few demands but loves to be close to them.
Back at the stockades, Maxwell was sharing his breakfast of pellets and lucerne with several warthogs. When he is feeling grumpy, he chases them out of his several enclosures; when he is feeling cheerful, he allows them to stay. Today, a group of baboons joined the gathering. After filling his belly, the rhino trundled into his mud bath for a cool down where he was soon joined by the warthogs. They wallowed together for a time before the pigs trotted away, leaving Maxwell relaxing in the muddy pool.
Later in the morning, the first group of younger orphans – Kerrio, Kamili, Latika, Mzinga, Nyambeni, Kitich, Mageno, Shujaa, Taroha, Mokogodo, Talek and Pardamat – padded down the path to the mud bath. They emptied their bottles of milk and spread out around the pond to browse on supplementary lucerne or greet the visitors or hang out with their friends. One or two paddled in the mud bath but most were content to stand around the edges. Latika was trying to look after Pardamat, Talek, Taroha and Mokogodo today but was having to compete for their attention with chief nanny Kerrio and wannabe nanny Nyambeni. The gentle girl stood close to the babies for a short time but then walked away.
The orphans headed out to the forest at first light, searching for green browse in a dry landscape before ambling into the mud bath for their third milk feed of the day. (They are fed every three hours, with the first feed at 3am and the next at 6am.) This morning, self-assured Mokogodo toddled up to feisty Muridjo as the older girl was drinking her milk. She had chosen the wrong orphan to pester while enjoying her bottle! Many of the others would tolerate this interruption, but not Muridjo. She pushed her away and gave her shadow Taroha a shove for good measure. Immediately, SIleita intervened, chasing Muridjo to the other side of the mud bath and fussing over the two babies.
Kamili is a cautious girl, aware that she cannot hold her own against the stronger members of the herd. She chooses her company carefully, avoiding the likes of Weka, Kitiak, Sholumai, Muwingu and Mushuru, and spending time either on her own or with the gentler orphans. This afternoon, as the elephants wandered back out to the forest, Kamili walked in the midst of the herd. As the time approached for the herd to return to the stockades, independent Kamili led Choka, Mukutan, Kerrio and Talek off in a different direction so that they arrived back before the rest. They trotted in early and made the most of having the stockades to themselves by nipping into their friends’ stables to scoop up the pellets and lucerne that were waiting inside. Minutes later, the Keepers shepherded the rebels into their own rooms as the others padded in from the bush.
On a sunny morning, the orphans wandered around in small friendship groups, searching for green browse in a dry forest. Although their focus was on eating, there was also time for playing. Kitich and Shujaa were spending time together, with the older boy lying on the ground and the younger one standing next to him. They entwined their trunks and pushed against each other and then, as usual, Shujaa clambered on top of his friend.
Later in the day, the orphans jogged down to the mud bath in groups for another milk feed. After emptying their bottles, Choka and Taabu began sparring, testing each other’s strength as they clinked tusks and clashed heads. They twisted and turned for several rounds until the game took a serious turn and Choka unexpectedly pushed his best friend onto the ground. The reaction of the other bulls was interesting. Kitiak, Rafiki, Elerai and Mukutan came quickly over to Taabu, extending their trunks and standing around him as he stood up. Choka made himself scarce – he was not risking their wrath! An hour later, spat forgotten, best friends Choka and Taabu were once again together.
Weka, formerly known as the naughtiest girl in the Nursery, is growing up. In the late afternoons when the orphans return to their stockades, Weka used to demand an extra bottle with a trumpet and a shake of the head. Today, however, she padded in with her friends, drank her two bottles and quietly turned to browse on the lucerne in her stockade without a murmur. As dusk fell, however, she could not resist stretching her trunk into Sileita’s room to pinch some pellets. Not quite the model child!
Every single orphan was excited this morning. As the Keepers opened the gates, one after the other, the orphans rushed out of their rooms as if they were after something. No one plodded this morning — even placid Taroha was sprinting! Usually, this little boy trundles out and slowly wanders down to pick up Mokogodo from her room. The two best friends then like to plod up together to say hello to Maxwell on their way out to the forest. But not today. Led by Ahmed, the orphans rushed out with the Keepers trying to keep up. The reason soon became clear: large numbers of giraffes and impalas browsing just a few metres from the stockades who, of course, disappeared into the bush as soon as they saw the crew of orphans thundering towards them.
Everyone calmed down and spread out to browse in small groups. Elerai, Sholumai, Loldaiga, Kitiak and Muwingu wandered further afield in the park and were found browsing peacefully in an open area a couple of hours later. Some of the orphans, like these five, are less attached to the Keepers than others. This is often the case when orphans are rescued at an older age. In contrast, orphans like Kerrio, Sileita and the babies start searching for their Keepers after only a few minutes of separation.
Later in the afternoon at the mud bath, Mageno and Loldaiga played several rounds of the pushing game. Not far away, Pardamat toddled along behind nanny Ahmed, not wanting her to move even a metre away from her. Pardamat is attached to several nannies and loves to be close to them, but his favourite is Ahmed. Big bull Tingai was in an assertive mood – much to their annoyance, he kept pushing Choka, Rafiki and Taabu into the pool!
In contrast to yesterday, the elephants were in subdued moods this morning, ambling out of their rooms and preparing to head out to the forest. Taroha padded out and popped down to pick up Mokogodo – the two friends then walked up to say hello to Maxwell. They stood at his gate, playing with him by pushing their little trunks through the gaps and onto his head. Weka, who has been angling for the role of chief nanny to Taroha and Mokogodo, soon arrived to disturb their game. She pushed Taroha to one side and stretched her trunk through to Maxwell, rubbing and pulling at his ears and horn as he stood contentedly, enjoying the attention. Eventually, the three orphans turned away from the rhino and jogged off to catch up with the herd in the forest.
Raha was full of beans today at the mud bath. She trotted along the rope cordon, doing her daily lap to the delight of the visitors. She lay down in the dust bath and rolled around (as a patient Keeper shovelled soil on her torso) and then she stood up and jumped up and down while moving around in a circle. An enchanting display! After she walked out to the forest behind her Keeper, the first group of elephants took her place at the mud bath. In a mischievous mood, Mokogodo tried to grab hold of Nyambeni’s bottle of milk today until a Keeper ushered the toddler away.
The sun was shining as the orphans walked out to the forest today. The warmth of the morning made the elephants playful and boisterous. Loving the weather, they padded around looking for favourite playmates. The day was all about wrestling, sizing up, and pushing one another. Loldaiga and Mageno wrestled in one clearing and Kitich and Mukutan in another as Kerrio, Mzinga, Sileita, Nyambeni and Latika all played the mounting game, clambering on and off each other exuberantly, with the blanket babies watching from the sidelines.
Padding down the path later in the morning, everyone was keen to cool down in the mud bath. Taroha is becoming as fond of muddy pools as Kerrio and Nyambeni and he was the first to plunge into the water. Being a clever boy, he climbed out of the mud bath as soon as he realised that everybody else was about to join him. Conscious of his small size, he chose the safer option of a dust bath, leaving his larger friends to roll around together.
In the afternoon, the mud bath was once again full of wallowing elephants waving their trunks. Taabu and Choka were playing games in the water as Sileita massaged her body against the edge and Mushuru stood next to her. Somewhat carried away by the activity, Mushuru mistook Ahmed, who was covered in mud in the wallow, for a more playful orphan and gave her a push. When Ahmed moved towards the silly girl, the Keepers pushed her back into the water and diffused the situation.
Today was an especially happy day for lovely Latika. On her way to the forest in the morning, she met some warthogs trotting towards Maxwells’ stockade to share his breakfast, as they do on most days. She did her best to chase them away, but warthogs are better at darting around than elephants and they kept finding ways through her defences. Shujaa came to the rescue of his big sister and together they drove the pigs into the woods. Some minutes later, Latika arrived in a clearing to find another group of warthogs. She gave chase again, this time with the support of Mokogodo and Talek. Pigs and orphans all had a great time.
Later in the morning, the first group of orphans gathered around the mud bath after downing their bottles of milk. Latika may be the oldest in the group but she is usually the last to venture into the wallow. Not today. After watching Kitich and Mageno wrestling and play-mounting each other in the water, she decided to join the game. To the Keepers’ amusement, whenever Mageno fell down or was pushed over by Kitich, she paddled over and squatted on top of him in the water. The three friends stayed in the wallow until it was time to return to the forest.
The orphans spent most of the afternoon in the forest, browsing and dust bathing and playing. Nyambeni was a most mature nanny today. Talek and Mokogodo were both being pushy, running at her and shoving their small heads against her. Rather than retaliate, as Kamili or Shujaa might have done, she merely moved away and rumbled at the babies. Elsewhere, Sileita was an excellent mini matriarch. When Weka behaved roughly to Muridjo, she intervened. When Taabu knocked into Mageno, he was also chased away from the herd.
Little Talek loves milk and does not like to see a drop going to waste! In the mornings, she likes to be in one of the first groups sent down to the mud bath for a milk feed. She drinks every gulp of her bottle and then hangs around, doing her best to look inconspicuous as she stands close to anyone with a bottle and collects up each and every drop that falls to the ground. Some members of the herd are more tolerant of this behaviour than others. Kerrio and Mzinga do not mind but Sholumai and several others do! As Talek stood underneath Sholumai’s head today catching the droplets, the older female lost patience with the annoying baby. Sholumai dropped the bottle and pushed Talek away. Hearing Talek shout out in alarm, Ahmed and Sileita sprinted to the rescue and Sholumai, wary of the consequences, vanished into the bush. Sensibly, Talek sought refuge with her nannies and abandoned her milk quest.
Weka’s maternal instincts are blossoming! She spent most of the day fussing and touching and tending a bevy of babies – Mokogodo, Taroha, Talek, Mzinga and Nyambeni – sticking to them like glue in the forest. Kitiak’s instincts are also emerging. He is showing signs of becoming an independent bull. In the afternoon, he wandered away from the herd (again) and the Keepers had to shepherd him back.
This morning, the boys, big and small, were up to no good! Soon after settling out in the bush, Rafiki, Elerai, Tingai, Taabu, Choka, Kitiak, Kitich, Mageno and Shujaa began causing trouble by chasing the girls, big and small. One started the game (which is common among young bulls) and the others copied and soon the forest was full of naughty boys running after girls and trying to mount them. Rafiki was chasing Ahmed with Tingai, Elerai and Taabu following along behind him. Choka was chasing Weka and Muwingu with back up from Kitiak and Mageno. Little Shujaa was chasing after Nyambeni and Mzinga, although the two clever girls found refuge with Latika, and Shujaa was forced to stop. Eventually, the Keepers shepherded away the pesky bulls so the girls could browse in peace.
Sholumai is becoming possessive with her bottles. Today, she plodded down to the mud bath in the last group of elephants with trunk aloft and mouth wide in anticipation of delicious milk. She gulped down her first bottle and then, as soon as she was given her second, she grabbed it with her trunk, snatching it from the Keeper, and sprinted away, trumpeting as she ran. The Keeper whistled to her to return but to no avail. She stood at a short distance, drank her milk and then walked around still holding the bottle.
On a hot afternoon, Maxwell enjoyed a cooling mud bath with the warthogs. Today (in contrast to some other days), he welcomed them into his stockade and invited them to wallow with him in his pool. As the rhino rolled around and then lay on his side, the pigs paddled near him.
Soon after the orphans padded out of their stockades and into the bush this morning, Mageno and Loldaiga led the herd deep into the forest. Young and old (and the Keepers) followed the two junior bulls, both of whom are growing in confidence. Today was the third day in a row that Mageno and Loldaiga have led the orphans further afield after they arrived in the forest. Mageno, Loldaiga and Kitich have become great playmates and today the three friends wrestled with each other for ages.
Tingai and Rafiki had a confrontation at the mud bath this morning. After drinking his milk, Tingai grabbed hold of Rafiki’s tail and chased his friend into the bushes. Reserved Rafiki was taken unawares by Tingai’s rough behaviour and stood quite far away from the herd for an hour or two. Tingai was asserting his dominance – in recent weeks he has behaved in a similar manner to Elerai, Kitiak, Taabu, Choka and Mukutan.
Latika was having fun again today. She plunged into the mud bath after Mageno and then delighted in sitting on his belly every time he lay down. At one point, she did not just sit on him but also rubbed her rump against his tummy. Mageno seemed to enjoy the attention as he kept standing up and then sitting down again!
Returning to the forest in the afternoon, Mukutan, Muridjo, Kitich, Kerrio and Shujaa had a busy time charging and chasing after a troop of baboons as they wandered past. Mukutan and Muridjo cornered one baby in a tree – the young baboon kept rattling as it leapt from branch to branch in alarm. Muridjo then dashed off trumpeting loudly as she tried to attract the attention of Kerrio, Kitich and Shujaa who were bush bashing nearby. Mukutan ran after Muridjo, enabling the crafty baboon to escape.
Taroha and Mokogodo are inseparable, walking through the forest step in step and standing so close that they are touching each other. This morning, Mokogodo trundled out of her room and over to join the crew of blanket babies. She greeted Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa, Pardamat and Talek but could not find her best friend. She raised her ears in alarm, she rumbled, she moved quickly in search of Taroha. Moments later, her sleepy-head friend toddled out of his room whereupon she darted over to trunk touch him and the two buddies walked out to the forest together.
Muridjo was moved to the second older group of orphans visiting the mud bath in the mornings because of her naughty behaviour. She may be a model child with her elders but is still mischievous to her age mates. Today was no exception. As the herd meandered back out to the forest from the mud bath, she could not resist headbutting Talek and Pardamat away from Nyambeni and Mzinga. The four babies had been enjoying a peaceful time until fun-loving Muridjo bounded up to them. The toddlers returned to their wannabe nannies as Muridjo bounded off in another direction.
There was a wonderful downpour of rain this morning. As a result, the Keepers kept blanket babies Mokogodo, Taroha, Pardamat, and Talek, along with fragile Kamili, in their stables until the day warmed up. When they whistled at the rest of the herd to head out, Sileita refused to go without the little ones. Everyone else ambled out to the forest but Sileita darted off behind some stockades and would not be caught. The game of hide and seek continued until the rain stopped and the blanket babies were allowed out of their rooms. As soon as she saw them, she calmed down, trunk touched all four, and led them out to join the herd.
After her daily visit to the mud bath later in the morning, little Raha trundled back out to the bush. But today, the tiny rhino was absolutely determined to go in a different direction than the Keepers had planned. She kept drifting off the path, in the direction of the rocky terrain where she apparently wanted to hang out. Her Keeper would shepherd her back, only for her to promptly waft off course. In the end, they compromised and went to a different rocky area that was more shaded.
Later in the afternoon, Mukutan somehow got distracted in the forest at ‘home time’ and was left behind. The Keepers in the compound thought everyone was tucked in, only for Mukutan to come swirling around the corner! He was only a few minutes behind but he immediately tucked into his food, as if making up for lost time.
Rumbling to their friends, the orphans pottered out of their stables and headed to the forest with their Keepers. They settled close to the stockades to browse and play. The bigger bulls were playing rambunctiously in the periphery of Pardamat — though in no way presenting a threat to him. Choka was sparring noisily with Taabu as Tingai and Elerai wrestled nearby. Ahmed went into full ‘mama bear’ mode, ears flared and threateningly stamping the ground as she circled around him. Ahmed, who never showed much interest in the little babies before, continues to be absolutely besotted with Pardamat.
Later in the day on a sunny afternoon, the orphans pottered down to the mud bath. After emptying their bottles, several headed for the wallow to cool off. Kerrio, Nyambeni and Mageno were playing together in the water – as Kerrio paddled around, Nyambeni lay splayed on her belly and Mageno clambered on top of her friend. The communal dip was followed by a dusting session on the pile of dry earth.
Back out in the forest, independent Kitiak (who has the largest tusks in the herd) went walkabout again. He wandered deep into the forest and was found some time later in a clearing by the Keepers. When they whistled to him, he dashed off back to the stockades, taking a somewhat roundabout route via the mud bath. He is constantly asserting his independence!
Emerging at first light, the orphans spread out around the stockades as they waited to head out to the forest. Some stood close to their friends as others foraged for leftover lucerne in the stables. Shujaa was a boy on a mission this morning – he climbed on the little platform by Maxwell’s stockade, where he discovered a bounty of untouched greens. When he saw his friends heading out to the forest without him, he hurried down the steps as fast as his little legs would carry him – looking very ungainly given the high steps and his relatively short legs!
As it was another hot day, many orphans paddled or swam in the mud bath in the afternoon. Kitich stood on the edge making enormous splashes with his pads and then climbed in to play with best buddy Mageno. The two boys knelt on the side of the wallow with their back legs in the water and their trunks whirling in unison. Their game came to an end when bigger bull Taabu tried to join in by clambering on top of the pair.
In the early evenings, the orphans know when it is home time. The little ones obediently allow themselves to be shepherded in by the Keepers but sometimes the bigger ones take matters into their own hands. Today, Ahmed, Elerai, Rafiki and Tingai sprinted out of the bush towards the stockades, trumpeting as if they were being chased rather than just returning home to another milk feed in their warm bedrooms.
Raha, the baby rhino, is capturing the heart of every keeper in the Nursery! She is funny, stubborn, and very sedate. Last night, she was pacing around her stable and squeaking away. Her Keeper brought her a bottle of freshly mixed milk, but she turned her nose up at it. As he said, ‘Rhinos are not like elephants. They aren’t always in the mood for milk.’ During the days, she is more and more active, plodding along sedately much of the time but occasionally doing little sprints and jumps. She is still wary of the elephant herd, except for Mzinga, and threatens the others with little mock charges if they surprise her.
This morning out in the forest, Taabu was browsing while lying down! He lay on his side on the dry grass, pulling up clumps of grass with his dextrous trunk. While he was chilling and snacking, his best friend Choka sauntered up, giving him a friendly hug and placing his foreleg on his back. The games began with one bull standing and the other lying down.
On a sunny afternoon, many orphans had a dip in the mud bath. Sweet Latika was looking after Talek – the little baby lay on the muddy ground and a wet Latika stood next to her, draping her trunk affectionately along Talek’s back. When Talek stood up, her quiet caring nanny walked with her to browse on lucerne.
It rained heavily before dawn today and the forest was misty and grey. The herd headed out in a cluster, staying close to keep warm. Despite the overcast day, the orphans were in playful moods. Lovely nanny Kerrio was once again lying on the ground, allowing Nyambeni to balance her forelegs on her backside and then to climb all over her. Choka and Taabu were playing the sparring game and Kitich and Mageno were enjoying a session of junior wrestling. Little Talek planted herself close to the Keepers, not snuggling up to them as Mokogodo or Mzinga might do, but just staying in their orbit. Kamili was also not joining in the games, choosing to browse quietly at a short distance from the others. She may not have much patience with the little ones or appetite for playing but she is well and strong, in such contrast to the frail damaged orphan rescued two years ago.
Later in the day, the sun came out as the orphans wandered in the forest. For a change, Ahmed was not fussing over little Pardamat. Instead, she was hanging out with Taabu and Rafiki. The three orphans browsed together but when Taabu picked up an especially tasty branch, Ahmed and Rafiki both did their best to wrest it from him. Much to Taabu’s delight, they were not successful!
As the sun rose in a clear sky, the orphans emerged from their stables and headed out to the forest in a line, led by Sileita with the Keepers bringing up the rear. As little Talek stood near the Keepers, Muwingu, in a break from her usual behaviour, ambled over to spend time with her. She trunk touched her briefly before moving away to play with Weka and Kitich. Nearby, Shujaa and Mzinga were playing in a clearing. Shujaa lay on the ground as Mzinga leant on his back. Soon, Nyambeni wandered over to join them and the three friends stood close, leaning their heads together and entwining their trunks.
On a hot dry afternoon, the orphans all piled into the forest dust bath (a large dry area which they often visit). Big boys Taabu, Choka, Elerai and Tingai sat on each other, each wiggling out from beneath so they could be king of the mountain. This game continued for some time – truly an elephant pile-up! All around them, other orphans were covering their bodies with dry soil – some sucking it up and hosing it along their backs and others lying down and rolling around. Independent-minded Muridjo was clambering on the slight incline around the dust bath so she could massage her tummy. Kerrio was lying down as Mzinga and Nyambeni played around and on top of her. When the two younger orphans began to squabble over who should sit on Kerrio, the mini matriarch cleverly diffused the potential fight.
On a cool morning, the whole herd headed out to the forest with the little ones wearing their blankets to keep warm. They stood in a cluster under some tall trees, with the babies in the middle and the others facing outwards as they browsed quietly. Not far away, a blanketed Raha was toddling around with her Keeper, doing her best to take him where she wanted to go rather than following along obediently. She paused frequently to rub her tiny horn against a shrub.
In the afternoon, the herd gathered again in the forest dust bath. As Choka was rolling around, Mageno came over to play with the friendly boy. He heaved himself up to a squatting position and Mageno stood close to him. They played affectionately, twirling trunks and shaking heads. When Kitich ambled over, Mageno turned his attention to his best friend and they played a gentle version of the pushing game, twisting around and rubbing heads and trunks. Kitich and Mageno then decided it was time to pile on top of Choka and the three bulls wriggled around together. Tingai and Muwingu were tempted to join the game but instead remained on the sidelines.
Soon it was time to return to the stockades and the Keepers gathered the orphans in groups, sending the babies first and then the nannies and toddlers and finally the big boys and girls. Today, all padded obediently into their stables and settled down for the night.
As the orphans gather outside their stockades in the early mornings, a few look for browsing opportunities! Mushuru really likes to browse in the small area outside her stockade row abutting Maxwell’s stockade. This morning, she clambered over the wooden fence in an ungainly manner and then enjoyed her own private browsing session - until she realised that her friends were heading into the forest, whereupon she did some elephant acrobatics to climb across and join them.
Kitich and Mageno have been best buddies for weeks but Loldaiga seems to be joining their little gang, at least on some days. Out in the forest today, Kitich and Mageno were playing yet another round of the pushing game as Loldaiga rubbed his trunk against a tree nearby. When he ambled over, the two friends invited him to join the game. The three musketeers chased each other around and then stood side by side, leaning their heads together. Not far away in a clearing, Ahmed was fussing over Pardamat and Muwingu was attempting to look after a reluctant Talek. The newbie is thawing towards the other orphans but remains wary and is happiest in her own company, so long as a Keeper is close.
The orphans spent most of the afternoon in the forest. Making the most of his height, Taabu was standing tall and reaching up high to twist tasty branches off large trees. The blanket babies were most impressed by this feat!
This morning, Rafiki and Tingai were hanging out in the forest together. The two reserved bulls wandered deep in the woods on a cloudy day, browsing until their bellies were full and then standing close with trunks entwined affectionately. Closer to home, Talek pulled up pieces of grass and popped them into her mouth. As she browsed, to her great surprise, she came across a tortoise. Browsing forgotten, she darted away and then cautiously walked back to the intriguing object. She inspected him from a distance and then at close range. Not far away, the Keepers smiled at her fascination.
Kamili behaved in an unusually confident and playful way in the afternoon. Since her arrival at the Nursery, her physical transformation has been wonderful but she is still a reserved girl who is weaker than some of the herd. Arriving at the mud bath for another milk feed, she emptied her bottle and headed straight for the pool. She was the first to plunge into the water! In she paddled, then she lay down and rolled around. A few minutes later, she climbed out and trundled over to play with Muridjo. The two girls played light-hearted pushing and pulling games, to the absolute delight of the Keepers!
In the forest in the early evening, Nyambeni and Mushuru stood by a tree for a long time. The two girls were investigating the cracks and crevices with their trunks, feeling around so carefully. When the Keepers whistled to them that it was home time, they were reluctant to abandon their new toy!
Out in the forest this morning, to the Keepers’ surprise, Ahmed was surrounded by Talek, Pardamat, Nyambeni and Mzinga. The budding nanny was not just looking after Pardamat, as she does every day, but also the other three orphans. Kerrio watched tolerantly from a distance and then ambled over to spend time with Kamili. She lay down for a roll around as Kamili stood next to her, extending her trunk affectionately.
Later in the morning, the younger group padded down to the mud bath for another milk feed. Taroha, Mokogodo, Talek and Pardamat were sent down first. They drank their bottles and toddled over to drink from the trough or pick up pieces of lucerne. They were followed by Nyambeni, Mzinga and Shujaa. The two girls made a beeline for Mokogodo and both draped their trunks along her back. They were competing for the position of nanny. As Mokogodo and her shadow Taroha stood quietly between them, Nyambeni and Mzinga began shoving each other away. The Keepers intervened, sending both into the naughty corner, and Kerrio whisked the babies over to the other side of the wallow.
In the afternoon, the herd wandered back to the forest dust bath. Mukutan squatted contentedly on his haunches, massaging himself against the dry soil. Soon Sileita came over to join him and the two friends rolled around together. Mukutan then challenged Choka to a wrestling match, leaving Sileita relaxing on her side. Weka and Shujaa took his place. Weka lay down next to Sileita and the two girls wriggled around. Shujaa was soon climbing on top of them – he can never resist a play-mounting opportunity!
The orphans headed out to browse as the sun rose in a clear sky. They spread out on their own or in small groups to fill their bellies and play with their friends. Loldaiga was multitasking today, somehow managing to browse and to dust himself at the same time! Nearby, Sileita was looking after Taroha, sheltering the little boy with her body as they touched and entwined trunks. Ahmed, as usual, was with Pardamat – she walked slowly at the little boy’s pace and did not allow him to move even a few metres away.
Kitich likes to be first whenever he visits the mud bath. His favourite position is the first elephant in the first group. But even this is not enough for the feisty boy. If a Keeper delays giving him a bottle on arrival at the mud bath, he trumpets in indignation. Today, the Keepers sent the smallest babies down first and kept Kitich back, sending him in the last group, despite his trumpeting and head shaking. He was not amused! Mageno also rebelled against the change, drinking his milk and then turning around to look for his best friend.
Later in the afternoon, the orphans returned to the forest but did not wander far from the stockades. Big boys Tingai, Elerai, Choka, Taabu, Rafiki and Mukutan wrestled against each other in pairs as the rest of the herd dusted themselves or browsed quietly.
The orphans drank their first bottles of the day in their stables before pottering around in the area outside the stockades. Soon after dawn, they set out to the bush. Older bulls such as Rafiki, Elerai, Tingai and Mukutan were not in playful moods this morning, choosing to browse on their own, rather than play.
Nyambeni, Mzinga, Mageno, Shujaa and Kerrio are water babies. On hot afternoons, they will be the first to plunge into the mud bath and often the last to clamber out. Nyambeni and Kerrio love rolling around in the middle of the pool and Mageno loves playing along the edge. Today, this little gang were led into the water by Talek! She gulped down her bottle and headed for the pool with Mageno plodding along behind her. She paddled right up to her middle, only climbing out when two cheeky warthogs tried to drink from the wallow. As soon as they knelt down to drink, Talek ran at them and chased away the poor pigs. Kerrio, ever the vigilant nanny, scooped up the little girl, calmed her down and brought her gently back to the herd.
Wandering back out after the mud bath, the orphans went straight to the forest dust bath, their current favourite place. As others hosed themselves with soil, Muridjo and SIleita had a quick massage and then lay relaxing on the rim of the dusty area.
The orphans headed out to the forest in an almost straight line this morning, led by Keepers and with others bringing up the rear. They spread out among the shrubs and in the clearings. Shy Sholumai was in a friendly mood today, extending her trunk in greeting to the Keepers. Best buddies Kitich and Mageno were hanging out, choosing just to be together rather than play. As they stood with trunks entwined, Kamili padded over to join them and leant her body against Kitich. Not far away, Kerrio and Weka were having a break from browsing – the two girls were lying next to each other while facing opposite ways, occasionally waving their trunks. Meanwhile, Mzinga was investigating a tree, exploring its crevices with her trunk.
Raha was subdued today. She walked reluctantly out to the forest and around the mud bath later in the morning. Her Keeper adapted his plan to fit her mood, knowing that he was dealing with a stubborn little rhino. Later in the day, she mock charged two orphans as they browsed in the forest. Returning to the stockades, she paused outside Maxwell’s enclosure as he munched on sugar cane. Her Keeper coaxed her back to her stable and tied on her blanket for the night.
The orphans remained close to the stockades this morning, choosing not to wander deep into the forest. In the early morning, Kerrio browsed with her bevy of babies - Nyambeni, Mzinga, Taroha and Mokogodo. She was being a wise and caring nanny, allowing Nyambeni to usher Mokogodo to a nearby clearing but still keeping her eye on them. Ahmed was with Pardamat and Talek today – Pardamat is her favourite baby but she welcomes Talek, most of the time. Although she has become more maternal, when she is drinking a bottle, no one (not even Pardamat) is allowed to approach. Tingai, Loldaiga and Mushuru were walking together today, browsing for a time and then standing quietly next to each other.
On a sunny afternoon, many orphans enjoyed a paddle or a dip in the muddy pool. The older bulls mostly avoided the water today, choosing instead to keep browsing or cover themselves in dust. Most of the girls and younger bulls splashed around in the mud bath. Water baby Mageno knelt on the edge with his backside in the water, twirling his trunk in circles. Afterwards, Mzinga, Kerrio, Mageno and Nyambeni lay around on the edge, enjoying the wet soil in the sunshine. When the Keepers signalled that it was home time, the orphans obediently plodded back to the safety of the stockades for the night.
Mzinga is an intriguing little elephant – in contrast to most members of the herd, she really seems to like rhinos! Not only has she made friends with Raha but, upon exiting her stable in the morning, she usually loiters by Maxwell’s stockade. This morning, when he heard her stable door opening, he walked over to the gate. She toddled up and wrapped her little trunk around his horn. He stood completely still as she greeted him. As the herd ambled past her on their way to the forest, she withdrew her trunk and padded off to catch up with Sileita.
Out in the bush this morning, the orphans browsed on fresh greens. After filling their bellies, evenly-matched bulls Taabu and Choka enjoyed a lengthy but good-humoured wrestling match. Rolling around on a patch of soil nearby, Tingai clambered to his feet and strolled over to join the game. Three was a crowd today and so Choka moved off as Taabu and Tingai clinked tusks. Still full of energy, gregarious Choka darted around his many other friends, greeting some and chasing others.
It was a cloudy day and no one was tempted to swim. Instead, they stood quietly around the mud bath after their afternoon milk feed, drinking from the water trough or enjoying dust baths or just being with each other.
At first light, the Keepers opened the doors of the stables one by one, and the orphans ambled out. Led by Sileita and a Keeper, the herd set off for the forest. Some followed along behind Sileita and others at a distance. Just two orphans were left behind – Mzinga and Nyambeni. They were hiding inside Mokogodo’s stable, scooping up every piece of soft green lucerne they could find! When the Keepers tracked them down, they darted out and behind some other stockades, playing an elephant version of hide and seek. Eventually, they were persuaded to stop foraging for extra lucerne and join the rest of the herd in the forest.
Later in the morning, Rafiki cheekily tried to climb on the much smaller Weka. She was nonplussed and just walked forward, effectively tumbling him off. He recovered quickly and just rested his trunk lengthwise along her back, looking contrite, as if that had been his intention all along. Not far away, Kamili was giving Shujaa a telling off. As he stood on top of a tasty shrub that she wanted to eat, she marched up and banished him to another bush. Given how frail and unhealthy she once was, the Keepers smiled to see this assertive behaviour.
In the afternoon, the elephants wandered deep into the woods before returning to the stockades for the night. As usual, the Keepers sent them down the path in groups, with the babies trundling in first and the biggest bulls coming in last.
Wonderful nanny Sileita was keeping a close eye on the little ones in the forest this morning. She browsed next to Taroha and Mokogodo who, as usual, were inseparable. They padded around in step with each other, picking shoots from the same bushes and always staying close. At one moment, Taroha made the mistake of moving a few metres away whereupon Mokogodo rumbled and darted over to him. Weka was shadowing Sileita, browsing quite close to her and watching her take care of the babies.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, both Sileita and Kerrio dealt (most effectively) with squabbling babies. As Pardamat and Mokogodo stood drinking milk with heads and trunks held high, cheeky Pardamat abandoned his bottle and pushed Mokogodo over. She trumpeted in alarm and he trumpeted in indignation. In seconds, Sileita and Kerrio were there. The two females stood between the babies – Sileita laid her trunk along Pardamat’s back and Kerrio laid hers on Mokogodo. Calm was restored with Pardamat moving off to drink from the water trough and Mokogodo toddling over to Taroha.
In the late afternoon, Tingai and Ahmed were playing among some tree saplings. They rubbed their trunks against the trees and wandered in and out of them together and then stood quietly leaning into each other. Not far away, Mushuru and Sholumai searched for green shoots, expertly grasping them with their trunks and popping them in their mouths.
This morning, there was a welcome but brief downpour of rain at dawn. When the herd headed out to the forest, the Keepers did not keep the babies in their stables but left their blankets on. Some of the orphans were reluctant to get going, dawdling around or even walking back into their rooms. Eventually, the Keepers succeeded in shepherding the whole herd out to the forest where they settled down to browse as the sun emerged from behind the clouds and the day warmed up.
Raha did stay back in her stable, however. She was in a sleepy mood, so her Keeper followed her lead and allowed her a long lie-in! Once the sun had come out, Raha plodded out for her daily walk, clad in a cosy blanket. By mid-morning at the mud bath, she was fully awake. She rolled around on a small pile of soil and then trotted along after a Keeper when he led her back to the bush.
Everyone lined up to circle round the perimeter of the mud bath as they ambled home in the afternoon. Nyambeni and Mzinga were in the lead, followed by the big ones, with Pardamat in the middle, and finally Talek, Mokogodo, and Taroha. As they passed through, everyone picked up a branch from the mud bath and walked with it, chomping away. Minutes later, a herd of happy elephants padded into the stockade area with branches still hanging from their mouths!