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It was a quiet morning today as the orphans had their milk bottles before walking out to feed on Lucerne. Roi took care of Dololo this morning as she knew it wouldn’t be long before Mutara’s herd would arrive and Sities and Suguta would take over. Namalok started a play fight with Tusuja while Wanjala played with Mundusi. Kithaka, Garzi and Lemoyian were around with Kithaka who was stalking around looking for someone to start a wrestling match with. He can be quite naughty these days! When they were ready, the orphans left to begin their day of browsing.

Out in the bush, it wasn’t long before Mutara’s herd found the dependent babies and they walked straight over to their favourite Dololo. They were accompanied by Kinna, Sunyei and Lenana with their babies. The herd was very active and busy browsing, and when it was time they all walked to the mud bath together where the dependent orphans would have their noon milk bottles. 

Pare, Malkia and Rapa were the first ones down to have their milk bottles. We found some beautiful birds around the mud bath today feeding on mud fish. Mapia was greeted by Kama in the mud bath and enjoyed playing with her. Lapa was feeding from his mother Lenana. When the orphans were done playing and having some water, they walked back out to browse. Garzi and Bomani started play fighting while Kilaguni and Sunyei enjoyed a play fight in the water hole too.

In the afternoon the babies were busy browsing. Malkia started digging down with her foot to find some roots to eat. Olsekki and Kamok started playing again. Kauro and Tusuja started scratching their necks separately. Mapia later led the herd back home in the evening. Later in the evening Kinna’s herd arrived with Sunyei and Lenana and their babies. It was quite cold today and there were no wild elephants around.

The orphans had their milk as usual in the morning and walked out of their respective stockades to have some Lucerne. They all fed on Lucerne and later walked out to the bush to browse for the day. They were all very active, with Kuishi diving down and rolling around in some loose soil, covering her body with huge chunks using her trunk. Galla and Esampu were busy having their own private conversation, wrapping their trunks around one another, while Naseku and Ukame were busy playing and rolling on the ground. 

The dependent babies walk to mud bath at noon – it was cold and none of them felt like drinking or swimming. Back out in the bush all the orphans concentrated on browsing. Namalok, Siangiki and Ndiwa browsed together. Orwa, Kilaguni and Bomani came to join the orphans and they all browsed together. Kuishi later led the group back home to the stockades in the evening. 

At the stockades this evening Kinna, Sunyei and Lenana with their babies came to visit. We also had eight wild bulls who came to drink water. Later, Mutara's herd came again and joined them too. As the older ex-orphans and wild bulls started to drift off back into the bush, Mutara’s herd decided to stay behind and sleep just outside the stockade compound.

It was a lovely but cold morning today as the Keepers woke up to prepare the milk for the babies as usual. The youngsters had their bottles and later headed to the Lucerne feeding area. We first cleaned and dressed Barsilinga's foot before he joined his dependent friends. The orphans later headed out to the bush together with Barsilinga. Mutara’s herd was also here this morning, having slept just outside the compound last night. 

Out in the bush Tusuja was having a conversation with Rapa as they browsed together. Kithaka and his group later joined the orphans and their friend Barsilinga too. Kithaka was patrolling around as if he was looking for something; we suspected he might be up to no good! Later the group all walked to the mud bath together so the dependent babies could have their milk bottles. 

At the mud bath today, Kilaguni, Orwa, and Bomani, as well as Melia and Kibo all visited the group who were already there. Kilaguni decided to wallow in the mud bath as usual, with Chaimu joining him for some fun playing in the water. Melia was playing and rolling around on the ground. The dependent orphans had their milk bottles and walked back out to the bush. Kainuk decided to have a dust bath where the loose soil is found. There were no wild elephants visiting today.

The dependent orphans concentrated on browsing this afternoon. The Keepers came across quite a venomous snake and changed direction! It was quite chilly but the elephants seemed to be enjoying the cool weather as they could continue browsing and didn’t have to seek shade and take a break. Later in the evening, Kuishi and Mapia led the herd back home in the evening for their milk bottles and to go to bed. 

About ten wild bulls visited the stockades this evening to drink some water, before walking off back into the bush. Kinna's group also came with Lenana and Sunyei together with their babies.

It was a lovely morning today with the elephant babies woke up and had their milk bottle breakfast as usual. A big herd of wild elephants visited this early morning to drink water. They came with their babies and started interacting with some of our orphans like Rapa. The orphans walk to have some Lucerne and started feeding. Mutara's herd later arrived and they all joined the dependent orphans, paying particular attention to Dololo of course.

Out in the bush it was very hot and dry, and the orphans concentrated on finding enough food to fill their tummies. Mutara's herd stayed with the dependent orphans the whole morning and escorted them to the mud bath just before 11am.

The orphans arrived to find some wild bulls wallowing again. Kilaguni and Kandecha joined them and started play fighting. Suguta, Dololo, Mutara, Sities and Orwa went to the dust bath and started playing there. Dololo was placed between Sities and Suguta. 

Back out in the bush, Lemoyian walked away from his semi-independent herd of Kithaka’s, to join up with the dependent babies. He was in a naughty mood and kept pushing some of the youngsters around. He was chased away from the group by the Keepers and Mutara when he pushed Musiara and he fell over. Mapia led the herd back to the stockades in the evening.

In the evening we had a big group of wild elephants who visited to drink water. Challa came to join them and later Mutara's herd came too. They stayed a very long time, until it was dark.

A wild herd consisting of seven members reported early at dawn and waited for water. Soon when the orphans were let out, Malima walked down and extended her trunk to say hello to one of the wild babies her size. The mother didn’t want her socializing with her baby however, and made to push Malima, so Malima made the wise choice to leave before the mother made her threats real. Mutara, Sities, Suguta, Turkwel, Kanjoro, Kibo, Kilaguni, Kithaka, Garzi and Lemoyian joined the dependent orphans for Lucerne in the morning. The ex orphans then parted ways soon after they were done with the supplement food. 

On the way out to browse, Sapalan engaged Galla in a pushing game while Karisa played with Pare. Sattao opted for a soil dusting exercise before settling to browse. Mapia and Olsekki settled to scratch on some rocks while Ambo teamed up with Siangiki to browse. 

At mud bath time, wild bull Dad, in a group of ten wild bulls, were found relaxing under some acacia trees when the orphans showed up. The orphans had their milk bottles and some water from the water trough, before going to mud bath and enjoy a soil dusting exercise. Later, the Ithumba dependent orphans headed north of the mud bath and settled to browse along the upper Kalovoto River for the rest of the day.