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Date |
Entry |
4/19/2012 |
The orphans left the stockades early this morning, heading out to the fields as the sun was rising. Mpenzi visited the stockade at 5:30 pm after an absence of several months. The keepers were excited to see that she had a young female calf with her. Her first born has really grown and acts as a nannie to her younger sister.
 | | Mpenzi and her two calves having a drink |
 | | Mpenzi's new calf |
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10/15/2011 |
The orphans enjoyed playing around the compound as usual. Today, Ex Orphan Mpala was a visitor to the Stockades along with Ex Orphan Mpenzi and her wild-born calf, “Asante”, all of whom enjoyed a handout of Dairy Cubes and Lucerne. Mpala attempted to mount Siria as Taveta and Tassia played a Pushing Game. The mudbath now had more water, so Tassia, Mzima, Siria and Kenia enjoyed splashing around playfully in it before all resumed feeding before returning in the evening.
 | | Siria leaving the mudbath |
 | | Taveta scratching his eye |
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3/9/2010 |
At dawn unexpected visitors arrived at the stockade. The keepers were delighted to see that it was Lissa and Mpenzi with their calves. Shimba, Mzima, Shira and Kenia were the first to finish their milk and headed to greet the waiting visitors. Lissa led the orphans up Msinga Hill to feed. There was plenty of socializing and game playing between the orphans and the wild calves. A little while after the group left the stockades two big wild bulls, who seemed to be following Lissa’s scent, passed by heading in the direction taken by the orphans. Lissa and her entourage remained with the orphans until noon when they parted ways and headed off in search of the wild bulls.
 | | Mpenzi and her calf |
 | | A wild bull following Lissa's group |
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5/22/2009 |
The day commenced with the usual play at the Stockade compound before moving into the main Park to browse. After their noon milk feed they had a lot of fun in the mudbath, Siria and Mzima scratching their backs against the banks. This ended when Siria got his revenge over Mzima, pinning him down with his short tusks. Mzima bellowed, which brought Lesanju to the rescue, but by the time she arrived at the scene, the altercation between the two was over.
During a monitoring patrol on the Southern side of Mazinga Hill, Lissa and her three calves (Lara, Lali and Lugard) plus Mpenzi and her wild-born baby and Uaso were sited in amongst a large wild herd of elephants. One wild calf of about 4 years was playing with Mpenzi’s baby carefully overseen by Mpenzi. Lissa’s last baby, Lugard had sun damage on his right ear. The Keepers watched them for a while until they wandered off towards the water pipeline, Mpenzi and her baby (named “Asante” taking the lead.
 | | Wasessa |
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10/31/2007 |
More light showers occurred in the morning, leaving Burra and Mweiga in a jovial mood. They spent an uneventful day together in the company of their Keepers.
Voi Keepers’ Notes:- It has been an eventful month for the Voi Unit. The Keepers were happy to see a lot of Natumi’s group, and also that of Emily as well as Lissa, Mpenzi and Lissa’s three calves. Uaso also appeared during the month, and little Rukinga (the orphaned kudu) joined a small group of wild kudus making his rehabilitation back into the wild community a success. Serena (the female orphaned zebra also met up with some wild kin and spent time with them for the first time. Most interesting was the episode with the lioness and the baby buffalo, similar to that of the famous incident that took place in the Samburu National Reserve when a lioness twice adopted a baby oryx. The Voi Keepers rescued the baby buffalo from the Tsavo lioness and it is now an orphan at the Elephant Stockades in Voi.
 | | Icholta rubbing on the rock at the stockade |
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