The happy arrival unfolded on11th April. In the browsing fields, the orphans were briefly joined by Loijuk; her firstborn, Lili; nannies Siangiki, Mundusi, Kama, Makena, Karisa, and Sita — and a brand new baby! This is Loijuk’s second daughter. We have named her Lisha. Read more about Lisha.

Naleku, who is an aspiring nanny, immediately abandoned her browsing and went to meet Lisha. Unfortunately, Lili was a protective big sister and did not allow her to get too close. Loijuk steered her group towards the mud bath while Naleku shadowed them from a short distance. The Keepers had a difficult time convincing the young orphan to rejoin her colleagues.

While the ex-orphans can cause their fair share of mischief, they can also be an enormous help. We were reminded of this one day, when something spooked the dependent herd and sent everyone scattering west. By chance, they ran into ex-orphans Galla and Enkikwe, who helped the Keepers diffuse the situation. Their duty complete, the boys parted ways with their younger friends.

Incredibly enough, Ithumba has remained green since the November-December rains. Every month since the beginning of the year, we have had rain: In January, 50 mm of rain; February, 66mm; March, 115mm; and April, more than 78mm. Despite the continuous green conditions, we were still treated to plenty of visits from various ex-orphans. We were particularly delighted to see Mutara’s group on 4th April, as they had been away for a very long time.

Suguroi could easily be awarded a gold medal in an Olympics sprinting competition. She is always challenging the other orphans to races and fitness challenges, and with her light and powerful build, she usually emerges the winner. One day, it was amusing to watch Suguroi race Bondeni to the mud bath — she overtook him as if he was stationary!

Bondeni is quick-witted but slow about everything else. His friends are well aware of this and take advantage when they can. During an afternoon milk feed, there was drama when Roho forced his way over to Bondeni. He knows that his friend is a slow drinker and thought he could steal his milk. Fortunately, the Keepers saw right through his plan and thwarted his efforts.

We believe that Kuishi’s love for Esoit is what keeps her anchored to the dependent herd, while many of her agemates have gone wild. However, she has started assembling little gangs for private excursions. One evening, she shepherded Mukkoka, Esoit, and Larro to the top of the hill for a private browsing session. When it was time to go home, the Keepers tried calling Kuishi to bring her team down, but she didn't respond. With no other option, they trudged up the hill and found the four orphans happily browsing, unaware that it was bedtime.

Nasalot’s rascal sons, Noah and Nusu, are always reliable troublemakers. One morning, Noah charged at Roho. Roho didn't take this threat lightly and tried to teach him a lesson. Nusu was nearby and rushed forward to defend his little brother, which sent Roho running in the opposite direction. A few days later, Noah was back at it again, picking fights with both Kinyei and Roho. His luck ran out when he tried to challenge Mukkoka. The older boy refused to entertain his nonsense and pushed him hard, advising him that should respect his seniors in the future. 

However, the orphans are also perfectly capable of causing their own trouble. One afternoon, Lodo and Roho had a conflict that resulted in a fight. When Lodo surrendered, Roho grabbed his tail and bit it. The Keepers had to intervene and admonish Roho for his unsportsmanlike behaviour. A few weeks later, Lodo was the instigator. Out of the blue, he started quarrelling with Suguroi. This surprised everyone, as they are in the same class and usually get along well. Naleku, who acts as the head of their class, moved quickly and separated the pair. We still don’t know what caused the disagreement.

Naboishu and his adopted big sister, Sana Sana, treated us to a visit this month. He was keen to show off his newfound pushing techniques and settled on Kuishi as a sparring partner. Kuishi couldn't allow this upstart junior to overpower her and fought back until he surrendered. Later, Olorien teamed up with Naboishu for a browsing session. We believe she was trying to learn more about his newly wild life. Suguroi didn't want to be left out and also came closer to listen to Naboishu's stories. 

Musiara and Jotto are two other orphans who recently embraced a wild life. This month, they started a none-too-subtle campaign to recruit Mukkoka, Sattao, and Roho to join their ranks. Unfortunately for them, the boys are not quite ready to take this step and politely declined their invitations.

Kindani and Kinyei still march to the beat of their own drum. One morning, Kindani left the stockades carrying a leftover branch in her trunk. As her colleagues rushed for lucerne, she enjoyed a leisurely scratching session while feeding on her to-go snack. Kinyei, a creature of habit, leads the orphans home every evening.

The month ended with an interesting interaction. Suguroi was rolling on the ground when Esoit walked over and scratched his belly on her. We wondered what she would do (Suguroi has a notoriously fiery temperament), but much to our surprise, she welcomed his behaviour. The pair then walked to the browsing field together. It's not clear whether it is Esoit who is trying to befriend Suguroi, or Suguroi who is interested in caring for Esoit. Either way, we suspect this friendship will continue to blossom, because the duo browsed side by side for the entire morning.