Chyulu was accompanied by Lulu, ex-orphan Lualeni’s eldest daughter. Chyulu and Lualeni have always been close, and when Lulu was born in 2018, it was Chyulu who stepped in as her top nanny. Now, Lulu is returning the favour to her old auntie. It is a lovely, full-circle moment to see some of our original Ithumba grandbabies growing up and taking on nurturing roles of their own.

After enjoying a long drink, Chyulu paraded Chili through the lucerne-feeding venue, where she settled for breakfast with the orphans. Mutara, Suguta, Kainuk, Turkwel, and Sana Sana arrived shortly thereafter and congratulated Chyulu on her new baby. Olorien tried to reach Chili, but was promptly blocked by Sana Sana and Lulu.

Introductions complete, mother, nanny, and baby spent the morning with the orphan herd, enjoying the stockade atmosphere, and have been frequent faces in the day since. It had been nearly a month since Chyulu’s last visit, so we feel very privileged that she made a special visit home to present her new baby to us.

Chili is Chyulu’s third calf, but her first daughter. Her firstborn, Cheka, arrived in 2020, followed by Charli in 2023. When she introduced us to Charli, we hadn’t even known she was expecting. Usually, it’s quite easy to tell when an elephant is pregnant, particularly towards the end of their 22-month gestation period. But Chyulu fooled us all, nurturing new life for the better part of two years with us none the wiser. This time around, we knew that she was expecting, but not so imminently. Clearly, Chyulu appreciates the element of surprise.

We suspect that Charli and Cheka are currently off with trusted nannies, while Chyulu focuses her attention on little Chili. Charli, who is only three, may be nursing some resentment that he’s been displaced as the baby of the family! (Cheka went through the same emotions when Charli was born; Chyulu seems to be on a baby-every-three-years schedule.)

Our story with Chyulu began 20 years ago, in 2006. During a morning patrol of the Kibwezi Forest, our SWT/KWS Chyulu Anti-Poaching Team came across an infant elephant stuck inside a drying waterhole. At the time, this particular waterhole was a hot-spot for poaching, as it was frequented by elephants in the dry season. A female elephant, presumed to have been Chyulu’s mother, had been killed by poachers in the area several days prior.

When she arrived at the Nursery, Chyulu’s Keepers noted that she was very ‘spirited and astute.’ As the years passed, she revealed herself to be an excellent nanny — first to the fellow orphans she grew up alongside, then to her friends’ babies. Unsurprisingly, she has excelled as a mother to two strapping bulls, and we know that she will instil in her daughter the same nurturing streak that has shaped her life.

This whole story is a beautiful example of the deeply woven threads woven by our ex-orphans. Although our orphans were robbed of a family, they still build rich, multi-generational families that are just as strong as any wild herd. When her friend Lualeni gave birth for the first time, Chyulu stepped in to support her. Now, eight years later, that baby is grown and supporting Chyulu through her latest chapter.

And of course, we will always be there — to support and to admire these extraordinary elephant families as they go about their wild lives.