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The orphans were prepared to depart early this morning. Enkesha and Kiasa led the herd to the Umani springs for a drink. There was a baby crocodile sunbathing on the bank. Quanza hadn't noticed the crocodile and almost stepped on it. Fortunately, the crocodile quickly slipped back into the water just in time.

Quanza panicked, trumpeting loudly, scaring the crocodile, and warning her friends. The other orphans joined in, charging at the bushes and the water while trumpeting loudly. Murera and Mwana stood in the middle of the herd, surrounded by their nannies, all trying to protect little Mwana.

Later, the herd moved to the Umani hills to browse for the day.

Maktao and Kiombo started their daily sparring match. This morning, Kiombo was full of energy, and he initiated their game by pushing Maktao. After his game with Maktao, Kiombo was still full of energy and decided to challenge Faraja. Faraja was clever and tricked Kiombo by hiding in the bushes, then burst out and surprised Kiombo, pushing him to the ground. Kiombo got up and ran to the herd for protection, realising he had underestimated Faraja.

The older females looked around, wondering who had fallen over, and then they saw Kiombo rushing over for help. Quanza and Lima Lima did not show him any sympathy as they knew he liked to play rough.

The orphan herd had their midday milk feed, and then they moved to the waterhole for a mud bath session. Mwana was running out in front, leading the others. Kiasa and Enkesha tried to keep up with her to check if the mud bath was safe before she got in, but Mwana was too impatient.

Murera and Quanza came to join in, and Mwashoti tried to block them. Murera gave Mwashoti a strong warning, and he obliged by moving out of the way. The girls joined in the swimming games, and they had such a nice time that they didn't want to get out. The Keepers had to get involved, ushering all the orphans out of the mud bath and over to the dust pile to dry off. After the orphans dried off, Mwana led the herd to the shade to browse.

The orphan herd found that some buffaloes had beaten them to the waterhole. The buffaloes were wallowing and looked very content and relaxed, clearly not ready to leave. Additionally, six bushbucks were waiting patiently at the side of the waterhole. The buffaloes realised they were outnumbered when they saw the elephants running over to the mud bath. They decided to get out and moved away into the bushes, and the bushbucks also ran off, leaving the mud bath free for the orphans.

Sonje and Quanza were not interested in getting in the mud bath today; they stayed on the side, watching Murera, Mwana, and her nannies enjoying their swimming games.

Mwashoti, Kiombo, and Maktao were all in a big heap. Maktao accidentally stepped on Kiombo, who then trumpeted in shock. Enkesha and Lima Lima came to rescue Kiombo.

Zongoloni arrived to check on the herd, and, most importantly, little Mwana. She found Mwana with Kiasa and Enkesha. Zongoloni greeted them but didn't feel like fighting for Mwana's attention. Instead, she moved on to catch up with Sonje, Mwashoti, and Alamaya.

The orphans were browsing in the Umani hills when they came across a large rocky outcrop. Quanza decided to climb up the rocks, but Amali and Kapei couldn't find their way up. 

However, Mwana somehow managed to find a gap in the rocks and climbed through. It appeared as if she was rubbing her belly on the rocks, but she craftily made it over to join Quanza. Enkesha and Kiasa tried very hard to follow Mwana, as they felt it was their duty to protect her, but they couldn't navigate the route. Mwana raised her trunk, waving at her nannies and celebrating her achievement. Quanza found lots of soft shrubs to eat on top of the rocks, and she was very happy.

The orphans raced to their midday bottle feed. Kapei came in first, as usual, because he is very greedy. Mwana was not far behind him; she enjoys testing her speed and strength by racing with Kapei, even though she knows she doesn't get a bottle. Mwana waited for her mother to arrive before she could feed. After finishing her milk bottle, Amali joined Mwana at the waterhole.

The Umani hills and the Chyulu area have been frequented by the orphans and other animals, so most of the vegetation has been eaten. The orphan herd moved to the Kenzili area in search of soft, fresh vegetation to browse on. Sonje, Zongoloni, and Lima Lima led the way, while Murera, Mwana, and her nannies walked at the back. Quanza and Sonje periodically stopped the herd so that Murera could catch up. When they reached their destination, they found lots of fresh vegetation, and Zongoloni, Kiasa, and Enkesha were very happy with their feast.

Mwana was spotted trying to eat a big stick, but she was struggling to peel the bark off. Kiasa came over to help, but Mwana declined and ran off with her stick. The Keepers are still impressed with how quickly Mwana learns new things. She is very curious and is good at copying her fellow orphans' step-by-step actions.

Enkesha and Kiasa went to bring Mwana back into the middle of the herd so she wouldn't get lost. She happily obliged, following her good friends. The orphans had stopped to browse when two dik-diks ran through. Sonje and Kiasa got a fright and ran, leaving their branches uneaten, before realising that it was just two little dik-diks.

The morning was very cold, making it difficult for Murera and Sonje to move as fast as normal. The other orphans seemed to be in a rush to get moving. Murera tried her best to keep up because of Mwana, but she was struggling with her stiff hip.

Mwana was well entertained by Amali; they played around rolling in a dust pile. However, Kiasa and Enkesha were nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the babies. Mwana rolled into a funny position that made it harder for her to get up again. Amali, Enkesha, and Kapei tried to help her up, but she started rumbling. Murera heard this and got worried for her baby.

Murera arrived in a panic and chased Enkesha away, not understanding the situation. Lima Lima rescued Enkesha and explained the situation to Murera, who quickly calmed down.

A fight broke out between Faraja and Alamaya when both of them reached for a branch that Sonje had dropped. Faraja, being older and bigger, thought he could intimidate Alamaya into giving up the stick, but his plan didn't work. Alamaya yanked the stick away and fled with it, sparking a chase and a physical altercation involving pushing and tusks clashing. The Keepers observed clouds of dust where the two boys were locked in battle. Faraja eventually emerged as the victor due to his greater strength, and Alamaya dropped the stick, retreating although he had put up a good fight.

Kiombo attempted to follow Alamaya, but Alamaya didn't welcome his company, chasing Kiombo back to the herd.

Zongoloni and Sonje joined Enkesha and Amali, who were playing in the shrubs. When Amali saw Sonje approaching, she went to greet her. Sonje hugged Amali, placing her trunk on Amali's back. They were delighted to be together and had grown closer over the months.

The orphans had moved toward the Chyulu area when Mwashoti spotted two male zebras. Mwashoti began trumpeting and charging at the zebras to scare them away.

This afternoon was very hot. The orphans had a fun time cooling off in the mud bath, and then they immediately went to hide under the shade of some tall trees. Mwana, Amali, and Kapei rested under the same tree, while the older orphans scattered in the shade around the babies. 

Once it had cooled down, Lima Lima and Quanza led the herd to the Kibwezi forest to browse for the rest of the afternoon. While in the Kibwezi forest, a wild herd came through, and they tried to get Kiombo and Maktao to follow them. Luckily, Lima Lima saw the two boys and came to the rescue, escorting them back to the orphan herd. Amali moved to be close to Lima Lima, nervous about the wild herd. 

The Keepers could hear the wild herd trumpeting and decided it was time to return to the stockades. The younger girls, Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha, were tasked with leading the herd home.

Despite her age and size, Mwana is a feisty little elephant. Amali tried to push Mwana out of the way, but Mwana stood her ground. Amali was shocked by this encounter, and she walked away, leaving Mwana, who was happy with her victory, to feed in peace. While she was still feeding, Enkesha came to get her. Mwana flared her ears, which Enkesha took as a rejection, so she left Mwana with her mother.

Jasiri and Faraja joined Mwashoti and the rest of the herd browsing on the hills. Jasiri heard screaming and went to investigate. Kapei was climbing on Amali and pushing her around. Sonje and Kiombo intervened and punished Kapei, which he did not appreciate. Kapei started calling for help, but the others knew that he was being too rough and did not come to his rescue.

The orphans found the mud bath to be a necessary respite from the afternoon heat. After their milk bottles, the herd rushed over to the mud bath. Kiasa and Sonje paused for a drink at the water trough, and by the time they reached the mud bath, they discovered Quanza, Lima Lima, Faraja, and Mwashoti already wallowing and playing games. They were having so much fun that nobody wanted to leave.

Maktao was rolling around in the deep water, with only his head showing. The others joined him, resembling hippos.

Amali and Kapei had difficulty climbing out of the mud bath as the sides had become very slippery. Zongoloni, Lima Lima, and Enkesha went to help and pulled the babies out.

A wild bull disturbed the orphan herd while they were browsing in the Kibwezi forest. He began chasing the females, especially Sonje, Quanza, and Lima Lima. Luckily, Murera had time to move away with Kiasa, Enkesha, and Mwana. Zongoloni also managed to escape unnoticed and warned Kapei and Amali about the unfriendly interloper.

Faraja, Alamaya, and Quanza had a tough time running from the bull. He chased them almost to the Umani hills before they managed to get away from him.

Sonje and Murera skipped the mud bath today, watching from the side as Mwana swam with her trusted nannies.

Amali accidentally got pushed in all the commotion, and she let out a loud scream. Kiasa rushed over to help, but upon realising it was not Mwana, she was not very sympathetic. Mwashoti stepped in and comforted Amali, taking her out of the mud bath and away from the commotion.

The orphans had a slow start this morning. They were content milling around the pellet corner, eating pellets and relaxing. Everything was calm until Murera joined; she was in an angry mood and directed her frustration towards Alamaya and Zongoloni. She chased them into the bushes, away from the pellets.

The orphan herd slowly moved to the Kenzili area, where they encountered buffaloes along the path. The buffaloes surprised Enkesha and Kapei, who were walking at the front. They blew loud trumpets, trying to scare the buffaloes away. The buffaloes remained unfazed and continued down the path. The Keepers decided to call all the orphans back and gather them as one big herd, as they are more intimidating together. The buffaloes walked past without incident, and the orphans returned to browsing, pulling down acacia branches to feed on.

Lima Lima and Alamaya were busy shaking acacia trees to bring the pods down. A couple of bushbucks tried their luck at stealing the pods, which the orphans didn't appreciate, so they took turns standing guard.

Alamaya chased the bushbuck away while trumpeting loudly. Little Amali and Enkesha heard Alamaya's trumpets and joined in, chasing the bushbuck further away. The bushbuck quickly disappeared, deciding that the pods were not worth the trouble. Alamaya and Lima Lima were left to enjoy their rewards.

Quanza moved through the herd, checking on everyone to ensure the safety of all the babies. She informed everyone of the plans to move for better browsing and then followed Faraja, Sonje, Kiasa, and Enkesha toward the Chyulus.

Amali and Kapei started fighting over a stick. Amali had the stick first, and when Kapei saw her with it, she became jealous. Kapei attempted to take the stick from Amali, but Amali held onto it tightly. However, Kapei's strength prevailed, and she called Mwashoti for help. Mwashoti hurried over and chased Kapei away, warning him to leave Amali alone.

Sonje and Kiombo had been spending time together browsing, but when Sonje saw a wild herd with a tiny baby, she left Kiombo to go and see the baby. Sonje adores babies, and lately, Kiasa and Enkesha have been getting much of Mwana's attention, so Sonje was excited to see a new baby.

The orphans were in a very playful mood this morning. The babies all came running out of the stockades, trumpeting and ready to play. Kapei and Amali initiated a game with Kiasa, while Kiombo and Maktao began a similar game with Quanza, trying to block her path. However, Quanza proved to be too strong for them, effortlessly pushing through. The two boys then changed their game and started charging and trumpeting at the bushes around the stockades.

Enkesha took a break from looking after Mwana. She had pulled a muscle, and while it was a very minor and temporary setback, it made it difficult for her to run around and keep up with Mwana's tireless antics.

Jasiri appeared with a wild herd from the thickest bush. The wild herd consisted of much older elephants, but Jasiri had convinced them to come and meet the orphans. As the wild herd got closer, they saw the Keepers and took off running back into the bush. They were unaware that there would be humans with the orphan herd. Jasiri stayed with Alamaya and Zongoloni.

Murera was very strict again today, keeping order and making sure everyone listened to her. Kapei got into trouble first when he came a little too close to Murera and Mwana at the pellet corner. Kiasa then tried to take Mwana away with her, but Murera refused. Kiasa was confused, as she usually takes good care of Mwana, and she couldn't understand why Murera was keeping Mwana from her.

Sonje, Lima Lima, and Alamaya led the orphans to the top of the Umani hills to browse. The top of the hills is less frequented, and the orphans find fresher vegetation there. Zongoloni found a hanging branch that had been pulled down by wild elephants during the night, with plenty of leaves to eat. She called Enkesha and Lima Lima to join her, and little Amali followed them.

The Keepers heard trumpeting, initially thinking it was one of the orphans, but it turned out to be a wild bull. He was curious about the orphans, but Lima Lima and the other girls were not interested and kept moving away from him. The wild bull left, realising he was not welcome.

Amali tried to spend time with Enkesha today, which was unusual. They had a small interaction in the morning, but then Enkesha became irritated with Amali and chased her away. Amali ran over to Murera and Mwana, feeling sorry for herself. Mwana faced Amali with her ears flared, but Amali has learned that this is a game and was unfazed by Mwana's reaction. Mwana is still a little baby, full of energy and always looking to play games.

Jasiri re-joined the herd today after spending a few days away. He found Faraja playing on a dust pile, and they greeted each other, catching up on all the stories. There was no tension between these two junior bulls, unlike when Ngasha was still part of the Umani herd. Lima Lima joined Jasiri and Faraja at the dust pile. Faraja started to misbehave, attempting to climb on Lima Lima, but she moved to the side, causing Faraja to stumble to the ground.