After an overnight at our nearby Voi Unit, Zuri was flown to the Nairobi Nursery. (You can revisit her full rescue story here.) Within days of her arrival, Zuri assumed the mantle of herd princess from Kipekee! Muridjo, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Wamata, and Talek dote on the new girl, and she has an entourage of nannies from the moment she emerges from her stable in the morning. For several weeks, caring Mzinga escorted Zuri into her bedroom every afternoon, continuing until her little sister was ready to walk in by herself.

A feisty girl who loves bottles of milk, Zuri bangs her head on her stable door in the night as soon as she hears a Keeper pushing a wheelbarrow full of bottles. It is milk time, and she would like to be first in line! During the day, if her bottle of milk is not held aloft as she sprints towards a Keeper with trunk in the air, he is rebuked with a shove. The other week, after emptying her own bottle, Zuri dared to chase after Kipekee in the hope of pinching hers.

Although she plays occasionally with Kipekee or Daba, Zuri is at her happiest with at least one, if not three, of her nannies. Our indulged baby is possessive of her big sisters with the other toddlers, but less so with our new rescue (a little girl we hope to introduce in due course), whom she does not see as a rival. On several occasions, Zuri has pushed away Kipekee and Daba, even though she is smaller and her pushes are doomed to failure. She is no wilting lily!

Rescued elephants inevitably take time to recover from their ordeals. Zuri remains wary of some Keepers and of all strange human beings, possibly as a consequence of almost drowning in a septic tank. Overall, however, we are thrilled with the progress of our pampered princess and remain so grateful to our wonderful supporters and foster parents.