Burra wrestling with a wild friend
Daily updates
April 1st
The orphans exited their stockades and downed a bottle of milk before leaving the compound. Emily and Edie’s groups, together with a wild friend, came to the stockades after the youngsters had left. They had a drink and copra cake. Burra engaged their wild friend in a pushing game in an effort to win more copra cake for himself.
Emily's group enjoying some copra cake
Seraa at the stockade
April 2nd
Today both Tasia and Emsaya were vying for Wasessa’s attention. They each wanted to be close to her. In the end the keepers had to intervene to separate the two. The afternoon was spent browsing before Dabassa led the way back to the stockades.
Tassia drinking with Wasessa
Emsaya
April 3rd
The orphans played around the stockade before Lempaute and Sinya led the way out for the day to brows. Dabassa arrived at the waterhole first eager to get his share of milk before the others were given theirs. Taveta was the only one to go into the water and despite his best efforts to entice Sinya, Wasessa and Lempaute to join him, none of them did. Ndii led the way home in the evening.
Taveta trying to entice Sinya into the water
Ndii
April 4th
Lesanju showed incredible leadership potential this morning. As the orphans were on their way out to the bush they found their path blocked by a fallen branch. Lesanju acted quickly, using her trunk and tusks to move the tree so that they could continue on their way.
Lesanju lifting a fallen branch from the road
Lempaute running for water
April 5th
Today Tassia loved being close to Wasessa, something that upset Emsaya who kept trying to get between the two. It was not till the end of the day that Emsaya got to spend some time with Wassesa, as Tassia had gone on ahead, as they made their way back to the stockades.
Emsaya having a drink of water
Tassia right Wasessa and the others having water
April 6th
After drinking her milk this morning Emsaya walked to Wasessa’s stockade to ensure that she would be the one to spend the day by her side. At the mudbath Kivuko and Taveta engaged each other in a pushing game.
Kivuko left challenging Taveta
Wasessa
April 7th
The orphans spent the morning browsing on the Eastern side of Mazinga Hill where Sinya and Lempaute kept climbing in an effort to reach the top. As they were busy enjoying the green vegetation they were late for their noon milk feed. They had a quick mudbath before returning to their browsing activities.
Lempaute climbing Mazinga Hill
Kenia browsing
April 8th
Shimba and Mzima led the orphans to the Northern side of Mazinga Hill to browse. Lesanju, Sinya, Ndii and Kenia chose to remain at the foot while the rest browsed further up. Lesanju enjoyed a lengthy scratch against a tree trunk before heading to the mudwallow. Shimba and Mzima chose to forgo the mudbath and continue browsing. They were rejoined by the rest of the group in the afternoon.
Shimba at the stockade
Lesanju scratching
April 9th
The orphans played a game of hide and seek at the stockades before Sinya led them out to the fields. Kivuko and Emsaya were the only ones to enter the mudbath today as the rest of the group thought it was too cold for a wallow. Kenia led the way home in the evening.
Emsaya right and Kivuko in the mudwallow
Kenia at the stockade
April 10th
The orphans were very energetic this morning engaging each other in all sorts of games before heading to the Northern side of the park to browse before going to the mudbath. They all had a lovely time wallowing in the water. On the way home Ndii took some time to stop and lie on a rock before rejoining the group.
Heading out for the day
Ndii on a rock
April 11th
The orphans had fun chasing each other around the browsing fields this morning. The game quickly was turned into one of bush bashing by Rombo and Dabassa with all of the youngsters taking part, until Sinya, Lesanju and Lempaute brought the games to a halt and led the group to the mudbath. In the afternoon Lempaute stuck close to Mzima, who was plucking leaves from the higher branches, so that she enjoy them for herself.
Rombo leaving the mudbath
Lempaute taking leaves from Mzima
April 12th
At the noon mudbath Ndii was the star of the show as he played in the water. He was having such fun that he attracted the attention of Sinya, Dabassa and Rombo who stood watching him. Lempaute tried to join Ndii but was too late as the group had was leaving the water to return to their browsing activities.
Ndii's game attracts Taveta left, Dabassa & Rombo
Ndii having fun in the mudbath
April 13th
As it was a hot day the orphans arrived at the mudbath earlier than usual. The entire group, Sinya included, all enjoyed a wallow. Kivuko was enjoying lying in the water before Mzima decided to sit on her stomach at which point Kivuko bellowed sending Mzima out of the water.
This afternoon the keepers saw Ndara making her way to the stockades with Emily’s group. Upon closer inspection they found that she had three arrow wounds. The keepers called the Vet, Dr. Poghon, who came and treated Ndara for her wounds, removing the one remaining embedded arrow.
Mzima left sitting on Kivuko
Arrow removed from Ndara
Burra and Laikipia enjoying some Copra cake
April 14th
At the mudwallow Wasessa had to help Layoni get up as he had lain down on a slippery slope and was unable to get up unaided. Taveta had fun drawing water into his trunk and spraying the rest of the group, who were not happy with his antics and left the water.
Wasessa goes to Layoni's aid
Taveta squirting water
April 15th
The orphans exited the stockades in a rush all eager to get their share of milk before the group headed out for the day. At the mudbath the orphans found some waterbucks having a drink and did not hesitate to chase them off so that they could have the mudwallow to themselves.
Orphans having a drink of water
Lesanju left and others in the water
April 16th
The morning was spent browsing on the eastern side of Mazinga hill until it was time for the milk dependent group to have their noon feed. In the evening the older members of Lesanju’s group decided they wanted to continue browsing, returning to the stockades at 9pm.
Coming down Mazinga Hill
Orphans browsing
April 17th
It was a cold morning as the orphans led by Lesanju headed to the fields. By noon it was warmer and they all enjoyed the mudbath. Rombo, Dabassa and Ndii had fun sitting and sliding down the banks of the mudwallow into the water. The afternoon was spent browsing in the vicinity of the mudbath before Dabassa and Layoni led the group home.
Ndii with Rombo and Dabassa
Layoni playing in the water
April 18th
Mzima, Shimba and Layoni climbed to the top of Mazinga hill to browse and refused to come down with the others at noon or in the evening. They returned to the stockades at 7:30pm to welcoming rumbles from the rest of the group.
Layoni on Mazinga Hill
Mzima on the move
April 19th
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
April 20th
At the mudbath Taveta tried to entice Sinya into the water for some bathing fun. Sinya was having one of it and walked away. Mzima had fun playing with Layoni while Shimba stood on the banks debating whether to go into the water or not. In the evening the keepers were called to rescue an orphan from the Kanderi swamp. Upon arrival at the stockades the youngster was welcomed by the orphans who tried their best to reassure him which helped him to calm down.
Taveta having fun
Shimba debating whether to go into the water
Orphan rescue
April 21th
This morning Lesanju’s group came running out of the stockades to greet the new orphan, who has been made Balguda. The group was reluctant to leave the stockades. Ndii chose to remain behind with the new baby and had to be enticed away by a bottle of milk. She became very upset when Balguda was taken to the airstrip to be flown to Nairobi and the keepers had to calm her down before she was taken to join the rest of the group at the mudbath.
Ndii with the new orphan called Balguda
Balguda having a drink
Balguda following Ndii
April 22th
It was a lovely morning as the orphans browsed on the southern side of Mazinga Hill and were in no hurry to leave choosing to forgo their noon milk feed as they remained browsing on the hill until evening when they returned to the stockades for the night and their evening bottle.
Kivuko on Mazinga
Lempaute leading the way
April 23th
Ndara returned to the stockades today, 10 days after she was treated for her arrow wounds. Her leg is still swollen and as such the vet came to examine her and suggested that we monitor her condition over the next few days. She spent the day feeding on Greiwa branches but left for the park later in the night.
Ndara feeding on Greiwa branches
Orphans in the mudwallow
April 24th
The orphans spent the morning browsing on the Southern side of Mazinga hill. The keepers were looking for Ndara but were not able to find her and believe that she rejoined Emily’s group. After their noon milk bottle the youngsters spent the afternoon browsing at the Eastern side of the park before Dabassa led them home for the night.
Lesanju at the stockade
Orphans browsing watched by the keepers
April 25th
Tsavo who is part of Emily’s ex-orphan group visited the stockades this morning where he had a drink before being given some copra cake and dairy cubes which he thoroughly enjoyed.
Tsavo at the stockade
Wasessa left, Lempaute and Lesanju
April 26th
It was raining as the orphans exited the stockades this morning. They spent the day browsing on the hill above the stockades where they remained until Kenia’s milk dependent group came down in the evening for their milk bottle. Wasessa, Shimba, Lesanju, Sinya, and Mzima continued to browse until 8pm when they returned to the stockades.
Kenia left and Ndii drinking water
Lempaute scratching on a rock
April 27th
The orphans had a lovely morning playing and scratching against the rocks at the base of Mazinga Hill, before moving further up to browse. As the group headed to the mudbath Rombo, Dabassa and Layoni were scared by a large monitor lizard that they found sunning itself on a rock.
Monitor lizard that scared Rombo,Dabassa & Layoni
Layoni
April 28th
Ndara returned to the stockades after a 3 day absence. Her front leg was looking worse and she was hardly able to put any weight on it. The keepers put her into the stockade and called Nairobi. Angela instructed that she was to be kept in the stockades until the next day when the vet would be able to come and treat her. While she waited she was given lots of Greiwa branches, dairy cubes and Copra cake which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Ndara in the stockade enjoying Greiwa branches
Ndii playing
April 29th
Two KWS Vets together with a highly qualified international vet arrived at the stockades just before noon to treat Ndara. Ndara was sedated and her wounds were checked and thoroughly cleaned. Once she was back on her feet she browsed around the stockade before entering it for the night.
Cleaning the wound in Ndara's leg
Applying green clay to Ndara's wounds
April 30th
The keepers have seen an improvement in Ndara’s leg following the treatment she received yesterday. The swelling has gone down and the leg is not causing her as much discomfort. The youngsters all greeted her warmly sharing some dairy cubes and copra cake with her before heading out to the park for the day. Ndara will remain in the stockades and under the care of the keepers until such time that her leg is much better.
Taveta playing on the banks
Wasessa scratching