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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.

It was a very busy morning today as we had a very large group of both ex-orphans and wild elephants coming for water. The water bowser vehicle had to negotiate the many elephants there who were eagerly awaiting some water, but they managed and successfully filled the troughs as well. The nannies to wild born babies Kama, Siku, Lapa and Lili surrounded the babies, keeping them in the middle of the group, to keep them safe. A wild herd of elephants had a young baby with them as well, who decided to wait for water by scratching on the main rock in the compound. Lapa and Lili started playing together as they try to scare away the wild baby. The Ithumba milk-dependent babies had their milk bottles and walked down to the Lucerne area to feed, but most of them decided to continue on out to the bush, as there were so many ex-orphans around! 

Out in the bush, Namalok started a play fight with Mundusi. Orwa and Bomani were busy browsing with the dependent orphans.

Later the orphans made their way to the mud bath to have their noon milk feed. They found a big group of wild elephants who were there for water, as it is very dry everywhere now in the midst of the dry season. They know they can find water here or at the stockade compound during this dry season. Kauro, Tusuja and Galla have a new habit of sneaking away from the herd to run to the mud bath area before the others, and before the milk is even ready there! Olsekki came running in for his milk bottle and picked it up all by himself. The orphans had a lovely time wallowing alongside some wild elephants, ex-orphans and their wild born babies as well. Some of the orphans walked to the dust bath after wallowing. Kauro trying to climb on Tusuja while playing on the soil mounds. 

Back out in the bush, all the orphans continued browsing despite the hot weather. They concentrated on browsing until it was time to return back to the stockades in the evening. Some wild bulls visited the compound this evening, and so did Mutara and Kithaka's herds.

It was quite a busy morning today as some wild elephants came running into the stockade for water. They appeared to be very thirsty and came charging in before we even had time to clean the water troughs. Some of the elephants were quite happy to stand close to the Keepers to wait for the water to be offloaded, but others were more lively and we had to move them away to prepare the water troughs first. The Keepers blocked the wild bull elephants also so the orphans could have a drink of water first before carrying on out to the bush, and then they let the bulls have their turn. Mapia led the way out today.

Out in the Park this morning Ndiwa was chatting with Rapa. Enkikwe and Galla started play fighting and later the two formed a group with Ndiwa, Rapa and Namalok, who all started chatting together as a group. Enkikwe was very active today and was rolling down on the ground in the dust playing next to Olsekki, while Ndiwa, Kuishi and Jotto stared at him watching. 

When the orphans made their way to the mud bath just before noon, they found a few wild elephants there who had come to drink water and enjoy a swim. They played in the mud bath and some of the ex-orphans from Mutara's herd with Orwa, Lemoyian and Bomani came to join them. Lemoyian then walked to the dust bath with Jotto and started playing. Kithaka also walked to the dust bath for some fun. A small group of the dependent babies went to join them and when they were done they walked off back into the bush, leaving Kamok enjoying the soil mounds alone until the last minute, when she ran to catch up with her herd.

It was a very hot afternoon again and the dependent orphans bounced between browsing and seeking shade. Later Mapia, one of the most active bulls, led the herd back home in the evening.

The orphans were joined by the ex-orphans Mutara, Sities, Kainuk, Suguta, Orwa, Bomani, Lemoyian, Turkwel, Garzi and Kithaka at the Lucerne feeding area soon after leaving the stockades this morning, as four wild bulls were waiting for water. Dololo and Tusuja passed by close to the wild bulls just to say hello. Tusuja and Namalok enjoy greeting and spending time with wild bulls whenever they get any chance. Perhaps this means that the two are the most likely to leave the human family next when the right time comes. 

Out in the bush, Galla had a brief strength testing exercise with Mapia. At mud bath time, the temperature was again moderate and only five wild bulls showed up. The dependent orphans had fun in the water before heading for soil dusting. The rest of the afternoon was quiet and in the evening ten wild bulls showed up at the stockade for water.

The orphans left their stockades and settled for Lucerne soon after taking their morning milk bottles. The orphans were joined by Mutara, Sities, Turkwel, Kainuk, Kithaka, Suguta, Orwa, Bomani and two wild bulls. Shortly later, Musiara decided to lead the way out to browse. After walking for nearly hundred meters, he realized that there was no one following behind him! Musiara panicked and turned back, bellowing as he ran back to his friends. Mutara, who rarely responds to baby cries, was the first one to respond. This is good; as a future mother she needs to learn how to respond and tend to the young ones, as we believe her own baby will be on the way late next year. Kainuk, who always responds fast into such issues, joined Mutara in calming Musiara down and assuring him that they were just winding up with their feeding so that they could follow him. 

Out in the bush, Karisa practiced how to push his fellow age mates by attacking a tree. He later used the same skills to wrestle with Rapa. Mapia played with Wanjala but their game didn't go on for long as Mapia surrendered and went back to browsing. 

At mud bath time, the temperature was moderate and the orphans joined ten wild elephants in wallowing. Later, Sattao joined Tomboi to drink some water and as soon he had enough, Sattao left to follow his friends. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse along the slopes of Ithumba Hill and browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.