Our Nursery big boys — Choka, Taabu, Mukutan, and wannabe big boy Kitich — had a great start to the month. Responding to their insistent rumbling, the Keepers opened Choka’s and Taabu’s gates a bit earlier than usual, followed by Mukutan and Kitich. The boys chased each other in circles around the stockade area, hurtling around corners and up the stockades. Whenever they came across each other, they pushed heads. Whoever was overpowered then ran away to hide!
Big boys Choka, Taabu and Mukutan (and wannabe big boy Kitich) had a great time this morning. Responding to some insistent rumbling, the Keepers opened Choka’s and Taabu’s gates a bit earlier than usual. The two boys immediately padded out and started playing. They chased each other in circles around the stockade area and then played hide and seek, nipping around corners and up narrow passages. Whenever they came across each other, they pushed heads — whoever was overpowered then ran away to hide!
Once their less rowdy friends had emerged from their rooms, it was time to set out to the forest. The Keepers led the way this morning with the orphans following in a straggly line. The herd spread out to browse and to play. After a cursory snack, Taabu challenged Choka to a wrestling match. Some noisy minutes later, Mukutan took Choka’s place and Choka challenged gutsy little Kitich. The four boys played several rounds, trumpeting in excitement, as the rest of the herd browsed around them.
This morning at the mud bath, caring Kerrio and feisty Weka were spending time together. Believing that lovely Kerrio is likely to be a good influence on wayward Weka, the Keepers enjoyed watching the two young girls standing close as they browsed on lucerne, occasionally trunk touching. They played a quiet version of the pushing game and then fussed over the ‘blanket babies’ together. That is, except for Mokogodo — the youngest orphan in the herd — who was too busy showing off. First, she darted all the way along the rope cordon, ears flared and trunk aloft, and then she rolled around on a patch of dry dusty soil, massaging her back with her legs flailing in the air.
This morning, the orphans padded quietly out of their stockades as light filled the sky. After greeting their friends and drinking from the water troughs, they set out to the forest led by mini matriarch Sileita. Most of the herd ambled around looking for green browse. Tingai and Choka were full of energy, darting after each other through the bushes and then playing the pushing game.
Taking the herd and Keepers by surprise, Ahmed suddenly flared her ears, stood tall and trumpeted in alarm. She had spotted a lioness who was stalking some warthogs tagging along behind the orphans. Muridjo, Sileita, Sholumai, and Mushuru reacted swiftly, charging straight at the lioness who disappeared into a thicket. A few seconds later, the others joined in, although not quite so effectively. They ran hither and thither, waving trunks and trumpeting as they knocked down bushes, and also each other. Despite the Keepers’ best efforts, it was some time before calm was restored.
A few hours later, the Keeper looking after Raha became aware of the presence of the same lioness. The predator seemed to be stalking the tiny rhino. He called for back-up and the men drove the lioness away. Meanwhile, Raha continued to toddle along, blissfully unaware of the threat.
The day continued to be eventful. Later in the morning, the Keepers came across a bull buffalo in the middle of the mud bath who refused to budge. The men tried to drive him out, but he stayed exactly where he was for several minutes before turning his back and cantering away. Obstacle removed, the first group of elephants padded down the path for their bottles of milk and then the second group of older orphans took their place. Everyone behaved well today except for Mzinga and Taabu. Naughty Mzinga (one of the orphans in the first group) guzzled down her milk and then, whenever the Keepers’ backs were turned, popped back to the wheelbarrow in the hope of pinching an extra bottle. Greedy Taabu (a member of the second group) behaved in exactly the same way. Both babies ignored the Keepers’ whistles!
Elephants live in close-knit herds. The herd of orphans at the Nursery is no different in many respects, although roles are more fluid than in the wild. Mini matriarchs develop and, when they graduate and move on, other females step into their shoes. Mini matriarchs look after the babies and, in their absence, other females step up. Today, the Keepers saw a new side to recent rescue Mushuru.
As usual, the first group of orphans jogged down the slope to the mud bath, trunks aloft in anticipation of delicious milk. They emptied their bottles and settled around the mud bath to browse or to play. Kamili and friends were peacefully picking up pieces of lucerne as Nyambeni rolled around on the pile of earth, covering every part of her body with soothing soil. Sholumai, Rafiki and Mushuru suddenly sprinted down the path — this was premature, as the second group do not get sent until the first group has left. Perhaps they were especially hungry for milk. Their arrival disturbed the little ones, who began darting around, and also the Keepers, who ran to get bottles for the three orphans from the wheelbarrow. Peace was restored as the older three orphans drank their milk and enjoyed a dust bath and the younger ones returned to browsing. But then, Mzinga started trumpeting at the wheelbarrow. In the absence of mini matriarchs Sileita and Kerrio, Mushuru stepped up. She ran over to Mzinga to check on her and protect her if necessary. Realising that her young sister was just being greedy, Mushuru returned to her dust bath.
As Mushuru was being maternal, Shujaa was showing off. The little boy was running backwards and forwards along the rope cordon, ears flared and trunk aloft. After several laps of the line, he collapsed in a heap on the pile of earth while repeatedly passing wind. He rubbed his belly on the soil with legs akimbo and then got up and did it all again. He is becoming a confident clown!
In the mornings, the blanket babies — Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa, Muridjo, Talek, Taroha and Mokogodo — are let out of their stables before the older orphans. Every morning, as soon as his door is open, Taroha pops over to Mokogodo’s stable so he can be reunited with his best friend after a whole night apart. She toddles out, they trunk hug, and the day begins. This morning, as usual, Taroha headed for her door where he met Mzinga, Nyambeni and Muridjo. Mokogodo emerged, they all greeted her, and then the little gang of five walked over to see Maxwell. They stood with their trunks stretched through his gate as he strolled over to see them.
Out in the forest this morning, Tingai was throwing his weight around. Having grown in strength and confidence, he has become the dominant bull of the herd. He has learnt to assert himself but not yet to balance this behaviour with kindness. As a result, he is going through a phase of being mean to some of his peers and of not listening to the Keepers. Today, he chased after shy Ahmed and gave her an unwarranted poke in the back with his small tusks.
Today was Pardamat’s first proper day with his new family! He has settled into his new world, become attached to the Keepers, and learned how to drink from a bottle. He was ready to join the herd. In the early afternoon, mini matriarch Kerrio followed by Mageno, Mzinga, Nyambeni, Mokogodo and Kitich returned to the stockades. The Keepers opened the door of Pardamat’s stable. Kerrio walked in, touched him gently, and led him out. First, she introduced him to her five young friends, before learning him out to the forest to meet the rest of the herd. The newbie was so happy to walk freely in the forest with his new family. He behaved beautifully as they gathered around him. Choka, who is both playful and gentle, was especially kind to the young bull. Pardamat stayed with the herd for the rest of the day, visiting the mud bath in the afternoon and then padding home to his stable at bedtime with Kerrio, Talek and Latika.
Because it was so cold this morning, the orphans headed out to the forest in a cluster. They settled in a clearing but remained in a huddle so as to stay warm. Older females Latika, Sileita and Kerrio stood protectively around Mokogodo, Pardamat, and Talek, who were clad in their blue blankets, and also Mzinga and Nyambeni. As the day became warmer, the elephants became more active — they began to browse or to play rather than just standing in a group. One by one, the orphans peeled away from the herd and wandered off either on their own or in small friendship groups. Sweet Latika remained with the tiny babies.
In the afternoon, the orphans jogged down to the mud bath for another milk feed and an optional wallow or dust bath. Once everyone had finished their bottles of milk, the Keepers led the older, less sociable orphans such as Sholumai, Elerai, Weka, Tingai, Rafiki and Kamili a short distance away into the bush. Sholumai and friends are never aggressive, but they can react defensively when encountering unfamiliar human beings. Those left behind enjoyed a lengthy dust bath, which is a favourite activity during cold weather. Muwingu, Shujaa, Mzinga, Nyambeni and Mageno rolled around together on the ground as Taabu, Choka and Muridjo hosed trunkfuls of dust along their backs. Dust bathing over, Taabu wandered around striking poses until Choka challenged him to a wrestling match. The contest continued for some time until, tired out, Taabu lay down on his side and Choka squatted on his best friend’s back to relax.
On a crisp clear morning, the orphans emerged from their stockades and ambled out to the forest. They browsed for a short time and then the games began. Taabu started the trend by challenging Tingai to a wrestling match. He accepted, they clashed heads, twisted around and clashed again. Ten minutes later, the Keepers were surrounded by excited, trumpeting bulls. Rafiki was wrestling against Elerai, Choka against Kitiak, and Mageno against Kitich. These contests are games but are also a way of young bulls asserting their strength and aspiring for dominance. As the big boys were showing off, big girls Sileita, Muwingu, Kerrio, Latika and (even) Weka were tending the babies. They were surrounding Mokogodo, Taroha, Talek, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Muridjo, and newbie Pardamat, standing so close that they were touching. They browsed together, occasionally trunk hugging the babies and ignoring the commotion all around them. The Keepers enjoyed seeing naughty Weka’s caring side as she singled out Taroha and Mokogodo for special attention. This did not last long as Latika soon whisked her two babies away – she was not going to share them for more than a few minutes!
Later on, the orphans opted for dust baths rather than mud baths on a cool, cloudy afternoon. A motley crew of elephants rolled around on the mound of dry soil, covering every part of their rotund bodies. As many lay on their sides relaxing, Choka decided it was playtime. First, he climbed on top of Ahmed but she chased him away; next he climbed on top of Kitiak but he chased him away; finally, he climbed on top of Loldaiga, straddling his head. Loldaiga could not chase him away and so instead trumpeted in alarm. The orphans rushed over to see what was happening as a Keeper took control of the mischievous boy, sending him off to the bush with a pointed finger and a whistle.
This morning was another hide and seek morning! Today, the game involved Kitiak, Mageno, Muridjo, and Muwingu. As the herd gathered in preparation for heading out to the forest, the four friends darted in and out of several stables. They were determined to scoop up any pellets left in Nyambeni, Mzinga, Shujaa and Mokogodo’s rooms. When the Keepers whistled to them, the mischievous little gang carried on but eventually did as they were told. They trudged along at the back of the herd but not for long. As soon as the Keepers turned their backs, they turned around and sprinted for the stockades. The crafty friends then hid behind the stockades at the back! Deciding that the coast was clear, they nipped back into the babies’ stables, hoping to pinch a few more pellets. Three Keepers then rounded them up and escorted them all the way out to the forest.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Shujaa was being a pesky nuisance of a little brother. He kept chasing after Nyambeni and Mzinga, refusing to leave them in peace as he clumsily clambered onto their backs. It was not long before Kerrio came to their rescue. She strolled over, warned him off the little girls, who sensibly then stuck to her side like glue, leaving Shujaa with no option but to find someone else to play with.
Back out in the forest, the herd was peaceful and content. The elephants stood together in a cluster – no one wanted to venture far afield and everyone wanted to be close to the Keepers. Even Kamili, who is an independent girl, was happy to stay close to the herd.
The orphans were in an unusually peaceful mood this morning. They meandered out of their stockades, drank a little from the troughs and headed out to the forest as one herd. The mini matriarchs ambled along after their babies and the young bulls after them. They spread out in the forest and browsed quietly. No one — not even the usual suspects, Rafiki, Kitiak,Tingai, Taabu, Choka, Loldaiga, Kitich, or Mageno — was cavorting around or wrestling. Moreover, no one was chasing after warthogs or impalas. Given the opportunity, Shujaa, Muridjo, Nyambeni and Mzinga cannot resist playing games with the warthogs, but not today. This morning, the herd stood close and browsed.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, little Raha was in a playful mood. Rather than walking slowly around the rope cordon, she almost galloped. Off she went, as fast as her tiny legs would go and then she collapsed on the pile of earth, rolling onto her back with her legs in the air and then onto her tummy, as her Keeper shovelled dry soil all over her. She soon toddled off back to the forest and her place was taken by the first group of younger orphans who gulped down their bottles and stood quietly around the mud bath.
The second group of older orphans were feeling more energetic. It was a day for bathing whether in the muddy wallow or on the dusty soil. One by one, Rafiki, Kitiak, Choka, Weka, Muwingu, Loldaiga, Elerai and Mukutan paddled into the pool, lay down and rolled around together. Meanwhile, Tingai, Sileita, Muridjo, Sholumai, Mushuru, Taabu and Ahmed were rolling up against each other on the pile of earth, rubbing bodies as they waved their trunks. Everyone was playing happily until Ahmed got carried away and climbed on top of Taabu. He trumpeted in protest, attracting the group’s attention. They cut short their bathing and rushed towards their friend Taabu, much to Ahmed’s surprise. She climbed off, he strolled away and everyone calmed down.
In the late afternoon, as many browsed around them in the forest, good friends Muwingu, Sileita and Mageno enjoyed a little nap together, lying side by side in the shade of a tree. It was a lovely sight.
As it was a cold, drizzly morning, Raha stayed in her stable almost until lunchtime. The elephants headed out to the forest as usual. Rather than standing in a huddle to keep warm, they spent much of the morning enjoying dust baths and climbing on top of each other. Whenever Loldaiga, Choka, Taabu, Tingai and Shujaa come across an orphan lying down — for a dust bath or just to relax — they cannot resist clambering on top of them, generally to the annoyance of the recumbent friend.
Later in the morning, the first group of orphans trundled down to the mud bath in small groups for another milk feed. Usually, Nyambeni is at the front — she either starts ahead or does her best to overtake as she sprints down the slope. But today it was tiny Mokogodo! Somehow, she managed to get ahead of her friend at the top of the slope and ran down quickly, little legs paddling hard. Soon, the first group headed back and the second group arrived for their bottles and another dust bath. Tingai was being assertive again, chasing after Muwingu and trying to play mount her. The Keepers protected the younger elephant by giving Tingai a time-out session in the bushes. He trumpeted in indignation - but they did not relent.
Back out in the forest in the afternoon, self-contained Kamili was feeling sociable again. She was having a lovely time with Mokogodo, Taroha, Talek, Nyambeni, and Mzinga, rumbling occasionally as she ambled around with the babies. As dusk approached, the Keepers gathered the orphans together and sent them back to the stockades in groups. Everyone padded back obediently except for Kitiak — he did not respond to the Keepers’ whistles and was found browsing contentedly in the forest. As the oldest boy in the Nursery, it is not surprising that Kitiak is showing signs of independence.
Soon after the orphans settled out in the field in the early morning, as many were busy browsing, Kamili wandered very quietly away from the herd. She did not disappear on her own, but silently led Mushuru, Sholumai, Ahmed, Elerai, Loldaiga and Kitiak off on an adventure deep in the forest. The Keepers could not see the gang, but knew they were reasonably close. Exactly at the time of the next milk feed, they heard loud repetitive trumpeting. Greedy Loldaiga was hungry for his milk and evidently could not persuade his friends to come back with him! So, he created a commotion to cath the Keepers’ attention. The Keepers duly rounded up the seven orphans.
In the afternoon, as the younger orphans were enjoying their milk feed, Shujaa and Muridjo were misbehaving. They downed their bottles in seconds and then made a beeline for Nyambeni, Mzinga, Taroha and Mokogodo in the hope of grabbing extra bottles. It was time for another time-out! The Keepers escorted the naughty pair away from the group and made them stand on their own in the bush with a Keeper. Muridjo was moved to the second group of orphans visiting the mud bath mid-morning several weeks ago because she was not being gentle to the babies — Shujaa may soon be moved to join her! In the company of older elephants, these two behave beautifully but they can be bossy when with their age-mates.
The orphans headed out to the forest this morning in a cluster, staying close to each other on another cool day. Mokogodo and Taroha led the herd followed closely by Kerrio, Sileita, and the other members of the blanket brigade. They settled down to browse with the Keepers standing around their charges. All was peaceful until Rafiki stood tall, spread his ears and charged towards a group of buffaloes and impalas browsing close to the orphans. The intruders turned around and left for another part of the forest, rather than stand up to an impressive Rafiki.
Raha was in a playful mood again this morning. She ran along the path to the mud bath followed by her Keeper and toddled confidently along the rope cordon. Today, she attempted to suckle one or two trouser legs belonging to visitors before lying down on her back on the pile of dry soil. She rolled around happily as her Keeper shovelled soil onto her body. Refreshed by her morning dust bath, she obediently walked back out to the forest behind her Keeper.
Often in the evenings, chubby Kitich cannot resist pinching Mageno’s greens. As they sleep in adjoining stables, it is easy for Kitich to stretch his trunk through one of the gaps and scoop up a delicious branch of lucerne. But this evening, the tables were turned! Crafty Mageno efficiently picked up most of Kitich’s greens while his back was turned. Two doors down, Elerai was doing exactly the same thing — stretching a trunk into Choka’s room to steal his greens!
Today, there was another confrontation in the forest. Muwingu, Weka, Loldaiga, Taabu, Choka and Ahmed led the herd out to the bush for a wander and a browse. All of a sudden, several impalas darted across the path in front of Muwingu, giving her a big fright. She about turned and ran towards the Keepers. Flaring her ears and trumpeting loudly, Weka followed her lead, running for safety. Muwingu’s panic infected the herd, many of whom began trumpeting and darting all over the place in random directions.
Later in the morning, Raha the little rhino toddled back to the forest with her Keeper after a brief visit to the mud bath. She came across some warthogs (who are the same size as her) as she wandered. They trotted around her and she did her best to run after them. As soon as she left, the orphans padded down the slope, trunks aloft in anticipation, to take her place at the mud bath. They downed their bottles of milk and spread out around the pool — it was a cloudy day and no one was keen on swimming.
Back in the forest, the three oldest bulls — Rafiki, Kitiak and Tingai — decided that it would be fun to chase Ahmed. Three after one was not a situation that the Keepers could accept and the young bulls were reprimanded. Much to their annoyance, they were made to stand at a distance from the herd and given no attention — time-out works as well with elephant toddlers as it does with human toddlers!
It was a quiet morning in the forest as the orphans browsed in sight of each other. Mini matriarchs Sileita and Kerrio were looking after the babies, keeping them close and fussing over them. Talek, Mokogodo, and Pardamat were wearing their blankets this morning. Nyambeni, Shujaa, and Mzinga no longer need blankets, except on the coldest of days. The older orphans played the occasional pushing game and then returned to browsing.
Best friends Taroha and Mokogodo had a fabulous dust bath after their mid-morning milk feed. Padding down the path together (as they are still inseparable), the two newbies carefully drank down every drop of milk and then toddled over to the pile of earth. They lay down and rolled around together before climbing all over each other as a Keeper helpfully shovelled extra soil onto their backs. After a lengthy roll-around, the two sweet babies lay facing each other with their front legs entwined and their eyes closed. They were pretending to have a nap! Their peace was soon disturbed by Muridjo who had decided that it was her turn for a dust bath. The two friends walked away together — as usual, Taroha was in the lead and Mokogodo was following close behind.
Later in the afternoon, the older orphans were feeling playful. Trunks and heads waving, Mukutan and Taabu wrestled energetically against each other as Choka and Mushuru played the pushing game nearby.
Nannies and wannabee nannies were squabbling over Mokogodo just after dawn this morning. After the Keepers give their little charges bottles of milk through gaps in the walls of the stockades, they walk around opening doors. Usually, they let the youngest orphans out first. Nyambeni is still a baby, but that does not stop her from aspiring to be a mini matriarch. As soon as her door was opened, she made for little sister Mokogodo’s stable and waited outside, giving the door a small shove just to make sure that her friend was awake.
Soon, she was joined by Latika and Kerrio, two older females who have more of a valid claim to the role of mini matriarch. Asserting her authority, Latika shoved Nyambeni out of the way and stood closer to the door, rumbling to her baby. Observing that Nyambeni had been knocked over, Sileita strode over, helped the young girl to her feet, and shepherded her away. If Latika thought she was victorious, she was wrong: As the older girl escorted Taroha and Mokogodo into the forest, Nyambeni caught up with them and stubbornly refused to walk with anyone else. Mokogodo is her baby too!
The orphans headed back for their mid-morning milk feed at the mud bath. Bottles emptied, they stood peacefully around the pool. Some browsed on lucerne as others hosed their bodies with dry soil, but no one was tempted to swim today.
Soon after dawn, the orphans set out to explore the forest. On some days, they head out in a straggly line, seemingly in no hurry to leave the warmth of their stockades. This morning, however, they walked purposefully, like soldiers on a mission with trunks touching tails, deep into the forest.
The older bulls are flexing their muscles this month. Today, it was Rafiki’s turn. In the afternoon at the mud bath, he was pushing himself onto Ahmed, Muwingu, Sileita and Kerrio. He was trying to mount the females as they paddled in the mud bath or hosed themselves with soothing soil on a sunny afternoon. Unusually, he was ignoring their rebuffs and refusing to leave them alone. In response, the Keepers herded him away to join a group of older orphans — Weka, Kamili, Mushuru, Sholumai, Loldaiga and Elerai — who were browsing in the nearby bush. As soon as their backs were turned, the feisty bull sneaked back and joined the females in the mud bath. Once again, the Keepers whisked him away!
In the evening, chubby Kitich was being very crafty. The orphans had settled for the night in their rooms. A few stood quietly, but most lay down to sleep. Although Kitich was lying down and appeared to be asleep, he was not! As he lay close to the partition separating his stable from Loldaiga’s, he was very quietly stretching his trunk through one of the gaps and pinching greens from his friend. What a smart boy!
On another cool morning, the herd headed out to the bush with the Keepers in the lead, followed by the blanket babies and their nannies, and then everyone else. They spread out, looking for fresh browse among the dried-out vegetation. Latika was sticking like glue to babies Mokogodo and Taroha, who were clad in their blue blankets. The three orphans meandered slowly through the bush until it was time to head back to the mud bath for more milk.
This morning, the big boys were jostling for dominance again. Kitiak (the oldest boy) and Rafiki (the second oldest boy) ran in together for their mid-morning milk feed at the mud bath. Kitiak finished his bottle mere seconds before Rafiki, then immediately turned to his friend who was standing next to him. He did his best to push him away from his bottle, but Rafiki stood up for himself, finishing the milk. The young bulls clashed heads, engaging in a serious contest of strength. Rafiki emerged as the winner today and Kitiak walked away with his tail proverbially between his legs. He was subdued for the remainder of the day, choosing to browse quietly on his own.
On a sunny afternoon in the forest, best friends Muwingu, Kitich, and Mageno were hanging out. They browsed so close together that they were touching. In between mouthfuls, they touched each other affectionately with their trunks. Sometimes, three is not a crowd! Nearby, Talek was browsing contentedly on her own, while keeping Kerrio within sight. Carefully, she picked up tiny dry twigs and popped them into her mouth.
Raha is thriving at the Nursery, becoming stronger and more playful. She enjoys her daily walks with her Keepers and loves both rolling in red dust and sucking on green dust coats! She is still fed milk on demand rather than every three hours like the elephant orphans. Keeping warm is more of a priority for her than for the elephants — she does not like cold puddles and loves wearing her blanket in the evenings and early mornings.
The Keepers were pleased to see Raha’s reaction today when a warthog approached her from behind. She reacted aggressively, turning around and chasing the warthog away. She dislikes anyone walking behind her, probably because of the predator attack she suffered when she was a newborn. She remembers the pain. The Keepers think that warding off the warthog — who was about the same size as her — is an indication that she is becoming stronger and learning how to defend herself.
The orphans enjoyed a peaceful day, browsing and visiting the mud bath and browsing some more. No one got wet in the afternoon, but many orphans enjoyed dust baths. Mageno, Muridjo and Shujaa spent a long time playing on the pile of dry red soil next to the mud bath. Murijdo and Shujaa massaged their tummies and then their whole bodies against the soil as Mageno sucked up gouts of soil and squirted it along his back.
This morning, the herd did not wander far in the forest, preferring to stay close to the stockades. As many browsed in small groups, Taabu and Tingai enjoyed yet another wrestling match. Evenly matched, they pushed against each other, entwining their trunks and trumpeting in excitement. Nearby, Rafiki was massaging his throat and then his torso against the rough bark of a tree. Elerai was being his usual independent self, browsing quietly on whatever foliage he could find. The young bull likes to do his own thing but is not rough or aggressive towards the babies — so long as they do not pester him.
On a sunny afternoon, many orphans paddled into the mud bath or lay relaxing on the edges. Waving their trunks, they rolled over and against each other before clambering out to dust themselves with dry soil. Composed Kamili was one of the few babies who did not swim, instead choosing to browse on greens nearby. She is much stronger than when she was rescued but is wary of crowds, sensing that she remains physically weaker than her age-mates and thus vulnerable to injury. She is often to be found on her own in the forest and, although she enjoys bottles of milk, she does not rush down to the mud bath or attempt to grab from her friends.
Kitich has changed so much. Gone is the thin, weak boy who was nervous of every member of the herd. In its place is a chubby, cheerful chap who loves to play. During milk feeds he used to trumpet defensively but no longer. Now he pads down the path, drinks his milk calmly and plays with his friends. This morning at the mud bath, he was having fun with Kerrio. They played the pushing game and then he clambered on to her back and then they lay next to each other on the muddy edge of the pool. Not far away, Mageno and Muridjo were also playing. As Muridjo lay sprawled on the ground, Mageno leant against her, waving his trunk happily. Ignoring all the action, Shujaa was, as usual, using his mouth to drink from the water trough as he still finds it difficult to suck up water with his trunk.
Later in the afternoon, the elephants spread out in small friendship groups in the forest to browse. Rafiki, Mukutan, Mageno and little Talek stood in a line, carefully pulling tasty branches off shrubs. Kerrio and Sileita stayed close, keeping an eye on the new girl. Many of the older orphans, including Sholumai and Mushuru, wandered a short distance away from the herd.
As the landscape becomes drier and food and water harder to find, more wild animals are visiting the stockades. Today, the early morning visitors were two buffaloes, looking for green browse and also water. When the Keepers heard Maxwell moving around restlessly and banging his head against his gate soon after dawn, they went over to investigate. Two buffaloes were standing next to Maxwell’s stockade, chewing on his range cubes. The blind rhino could not see the intruders, but he could certainly sense them. Quickly, the Keepers chased them away and Maxwell calmed down.
As usual, the nannies were sticking close to their little charges today in the forest. Kerrio hovered around Nyambeni, Mzinga, Pardamat, and Talek as Sileita fussed over Mokogodo and Taroha. Today, Sileita would not leave Taroha alone, walking along behind him and regularly trunk touching him. Taroha was enjoying the attention, sometimes even tentatively putting his small trunk between his nanny’s forelegs as if hoping to suckle. Nearby, good friends Mageno and Kitich were playing a light-hearted version of the pushing game. The toddlers made a lot of noise as they sparred, but did not push hard against each other. More time was spent chasing each other between the shrubs and trees.
Latika is showing signs of becoming a mini matriarch but is drawn towards the smallest orphans, possibly because she does not feel strong enough to take on the likes of Nyambeni and Muridjo. She loves looking after Taroha and Mokogodo but can be unpredictable with Talek and Pardamat. She may be older than Kerrio, but she took a long time to regain her strength after being rescued. This morning at the mud bath, she was doing her own thing, having a lovely time dusting. First, she leaned sideways to scoop up dry soil and then she lay down on her belly to rub her body all over with soothing soil.
Later in the afternoon back out in the forest, the orphans wandered and browsed in small friendship groups. Best friends Muridjo and Muwingu were hanging out together — older sister Muwingu was resting her trunk along her little sister’s back. Soon they were joined by Choka, the gentle bull, and Mageno, a playful boy. The four friends — Muridjo, Muwingu, Choka and Mageno — enjoyed an energetic dust bath together, hosing soil all over the place. Mushuru ambled around nearby, watching the lively group but content to keep browsing.
The oldest bull in the Nursery, Kitiak has regained his strength since his rescue and is becoming more assertive and less obedient. The Keepers may find his independence challenging but are also pleased to see the orphan behaving like most bulls of his age. Quite often, he wanders a distance away from the herd, enjoying exploring the forest on his own. Today, four of the oldest orphans — Kitiak, Tingai, Rafiki and Ahmed — went walkabout, disappearing into the thick bush but returning in time for their mid-morning milk feed.
Elsewhere in the forest, Sileita was fussing over the motley crew of blanket babies, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Muridjo, Shujaa, Taroha, Talek, Mokogodo, and Pardamat. In contrast to the other nannies, she seems to have no favourites and to love them all. She is also teaching feisty Weka to be more caring. Kerrio and Latika are fabulous nannies, although their attention is not as unconditional — especially Latika, who openly favours Taroha and Mokogodo.
Later in the afternoon, the Keepers shepherded their charges into small groups and sent them padding back to the stockades for the night — the youngest orphans head home first with the big boys and girls bringing up the rear. This evening, cool customer Tingai sauntered up to his stockade, opened the gate with his trunk, ambled in and turned around, trunk aloft in expectation of his evening bottle of milk.
Shujaa is becoming a swimming star! On warm days, he is often the first to plunge into the muddy pool. This morning, he gulped down his bottle and made a beeline for the water. He climbed in confidently, paddled up to his tummy in the wallow and then submerged his body. Soon, he was joined by Kerrio, Nyambeni and Mzinga. In his enthusiasm, he attempted clumsily to leap over Mzinga, succeeding only in pushing her under the water. Once again, it was Kerrio to the rescue — she pushed him off the little girl and ordered him out of the pool. He toddled off to join the dusting crew of Taroha, Talek and Mokogodo who first squatted on their haunches and then rolled around happily on the pile of earth. Unsurprisingly, his exuberance got the better of him again and he rolled on top of little Taroha, whereupon the Keepers whistled at him to move away.
This morning, Mokogodo was doing her running along the rope trick again during the mid-morning visit. Much to the delight of the visitors, she darts along the line, feet flared and trunk waving. Today, she even nipped under the rope but the Keepers soon whisked her back.
Later in the day, the orphans wandered peacefully in the forest as one herd. They walked in step in a cluster, trunks touching tails and bellies touching bellies. The Keepers wandered around them, enjoying the synchronicity of the herd.
The herd headed out as usual in the early morning to browse in the forest. This morning, Ahmed, who is one of the oldest but also one of the shyest females, was spending time with newbies Talek and Pardamat. The Keepers smiled to see her trunk touching and looking after little Pardamat. Close by, boisterous boys Mukutan and Choka were playing the pushing game, chasing around after each other and clashing heads and breaking apart and doing it all over again. In his enthusiasm, Choka careered into sweet Talek who was bowled over but soon got back on her feet. Kind Choka checked that she was not hurt before resuming the game.
It was a hot afternoon. Most of the orphans were swimming in the mud bath. Kamili, as per usual, was standing on the edge, enjoying a gentle splash as she waited for the others to get out. But then, in a move most out of character, she paddled in, lay down and rolled around with the herd. In the midst of the activity, naughty Shujaa decided to attempt another dolphin dive, but this time over Mokogodo. He landed on top of her, she cried out, and three nannies — Sileita, Latika, and Kerrio — ran to her rescue. They told off Shujaa and surrounded Mokogodo, rumbling in concern.
This morning in the forest, the orphans were in playful moods. Several darted around after each other or the warthogs or played pushing games. Good friends Mukutan and Taabu enjoyed a wrestling match in a small clearing in the bush — it was a good-humoured contest of strength. The blanket babies watched on from the sidelines.
Muwingu was persuaded to join her friends in the mud bath later in the morning but did not stay there for long. Kitiak was standing on the edge, kicking up enormous splashes of water with his pads. When the visitors reacted noisily to his splashing, Muwingu bolted out of the water and headed towards the Keepers, trumpeting in alarm. Despite growing in confidence, she remains sensitive to unexpected noises. As one Keeper called her name to calm her down, several friends climbed out of the mud bath and surrounded her protectively. Rafiki and Tingai relaxed very quickly but it took some of the others several minutes to regain their composure. Weka, for example, ran at the visitors with her ears flared, infected with Muwingu’s anxiety.
Having calmed down, one by one, the orphans pottered over to the pile of earth and soon a crowd of elephants were rolling around happily on the dry soil. Still soaking wet from her swim, Weka lay down on her side and then rubbed her face and trunk energetically in the dust. Soon she was caked in red soil.
As dawn approached, the orphans emerged from their stockades and stood around quietly, waiting to head into the forest. As they greeted their friends and the nannies fussed over the babies, Loldaiga and Mageno had an unexpected squabble. They sleep in neighbouring rooms and their doors were opened at the same time. Loldaiga walked out and immediately turned on Mageno. The Keepers intervened, believing that the squabble was over lucerne - the two orphans stopped and wandered off to hang out with different friends.
On a hot sunny morning, the first group of orphans were keen to cool off in the mud wallow. After a relaxing dip, Mzinga and Nyambeni began playing in the water. They pushed heads and then chased each other around the wallow, making enormous splashes as they trudged through the deep water.
Later in the afternoon, Kerrio, Weka, Mageno and Ahmed spent a long time in the wallow. They paddled and swam and hosed themselves with water. After playing, Kerrio and Weka relaxed with their forelegs leaning on the edge as silly Mageno kept trying to play mount Weka. Sensible Ahmed stood nearby watching their antics, kicking the water gently.
Muridjo was full of energy this morning, darting out of her stockade and nipping around to greet her friends as they emerged. She could not wait until everyone was ready to head out so sprinted ahead of the herd to the forest with the others trundling along in her wake. Soon, the whole herd had caught up with her and spread out to forage for food. In a departure from his normal behaviour (as he tends to gravitate towards older orphans), Shujaa was hanging out with Pardamat this morning. The two boys browsed peacefully not far from mini matriarch Sileita.
Later in the morning, the orphans headed down the slope to the mud bath for another milk feed. Most settled around the mud pool as it was a cloudy day — some browsed on lucerne as others hosed themselves with dust or drank from the water troughs. Mukutan alone decided it was warm enough for a dip, submerging his whole body contentedly in the wallow.
Back out in the forest in the late afternoon, the Keepers gathered their charges in groups and sent them back to the stockades for the night. Usually, the younger ones pad in first followed by the big boys and girls. Muridjo and Mageno ran in together today, sending the warthogs darting for cover as they scampered round the corner and into their stables.
The orphans headed out in a straggly line to the forest this morning led by their Keepers. Sweet Choka was hanging out with some of the blanket babies again today, feeding peacefully with Mokogodo, Talek, and Taroha. When Tingai and Rafiki started a wrestling match nearby, he tolerated the contest for only a minute or two before sending the older bulls away. He was being protective of his little charges and did not want to run the risk of one of them being knocked over. Kamili was feeding a short distance away from the herd — although she is becoming more sociable, she often still chooses to browse on her own.
The orphans wandered back to the mud bath for the mid-morning milk feed and then back out to the bush. In the afternoon, Sileita and Kerrio were browsing with a bevy of babies, ambling around with Muridjo, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Taroha, Mokogodo, Talek, Shujaa and Pardamat. Taroha is becoming stronger and less apt to cry out in alarm if one of the older elephants comes near him. As usual, he and Mokogodo stayed within trunk’s reach of each other. Pardamat toddled along behind Kerrio, looking remarkably at ease with his new family. Not far away, Muwingu and Kitich played several rounds of the pushing game, but their rowdy antics did not bother the babies.
In the forest, two of the oldest bulls — Kitiak and Rafiki — were wrestling against each other when one of them accidentally hurt the other. The contest disintegrated into a proper fight, until Tingai strode between them and diffused the situation. Each bull turned and walked away in opposite directions. The Keepers were pleased that they had not had to intervene. Meanwhile, the rest of the herd continued browsing.
Later in the morning, the Keepers sent the first group of orphans down to the mud bath for another milk feed and then the second group. No one was tempted to swim on a cloudy day; instead, they stood around browsing and dusting before heading back out to the forest. Only Muridjo and Shujaa were feeling playful, chasing each other and then playing the pushing game.
In the afternoon, Kerrio was playing with Mzinga, Muridjo, and Talek. The ever-patient nanny lay happily on the ground as her young friends clambered on and off her, waving their trunks with delight as they rested their forelegs on her torso. Talek was a little shy of actually climbing onto her so stood slightly to the side watching Mzinga and Muridjo. The game continued until it was time for the Keepers to send the orphans back to the safety of the stockades for the night.
This morning, the blanket babies padded out of their stockades before their older friends. They enjoyed a brief reign over the compound, drinking from troughs and playing the pushing game before the big girls and boys emerged. Soon, Sileita led the herd out to browse in the forest. As Sileita, led the herd out, Maxwell was already up and enjoying his morning lucerne hay. The Nursery herd remained in a cluster as it was a cool morning but dispersed when the sun came out.
Meanwhile, Raha was toddling around nearby with her Keeper. She was walking slowly, pausing to nibble on grass and small leaves from different plants. Mzinga ambled over to greet her, placing her trunk along the little rhino’s back and standing quietly next to her. Raha tolerates — even welcomes — Mzinga’s presence but continues to be nervous of the rest of the herd, with the occasional exception of Nyambeni.
After the afternoon visit to the mud bath, the herd returned to the bush for a final wander before bed. Today, both Kitiak and Tingai went walkabout and could not be found when the Keepers were shepherding the others back to the stockades. The bulls are spreading their wings, which is a positive sign for their future wild lives. The Keepers did not have to walk far, whistling as they went, before the big boys returned and plodded back to their rooms for the night.
The orphans browsed for a short time and then spread out to play with their friends. Kitich was playing with his new friend, big boy Taabu. The two mischievous boys were charging around together, pushing and twisting and generally having fun. Not far away, Kerrio was looking after Pardamat and Talek with assistance from Mageno. They wandered for a time and then the two older orphans leant against each other with their trunks entwined as the babies continued to forage for small leaves. Meanwhile, Muridjo was indulging in some solitary play, scampering through the trees on her own and occasionally trumpeting in excitement. Once she had worn herself out, she ambled over to Latika and Shujaa. The three friends did a tiny bit of chasing and then settled back to foraging for greens.
At the afternoon mud bath, many went paddling or swimming and then coated their wet bodies in dry soil. Good friends and water babies Weka and Mageno were rolling around in the muddy pool together as the little ones watched on from the edges, most impressed with their antics.
As evening approached, the orphans padded back to the safety of the stockades for the night. Much to her satisfaction, Nyambeni was the leader today — she almost cantered down the slope and around the corner, trunk aloft in anticipation of milk and ears flared in pleasure.