Chamboi the orphaned rhino:

Chamboi has become the favourite friend of the smaller orphans. Black rhinos are solitary by nature — that gene will really kick in as he grows older — but for now, Chamboi is curious about other creatures. He can often be seen in the company of our two orphaned ostriches, Bam and Boozle. The chicks follow him everywhere, from the stockade area, through the bush, to the airstrip, and back home again. 

Sprite’s kids are also very curious about Chamboi — and the feeling is mutual. He doesn’t quite know what to make of the snorting, squeaking little pigs. When he finds them congregated on the grass, Chamboi tiptoes ever closer. This usually sends them scattering in a flurry of snorts and stick-straight tails, but occasionally, one of the more intrepid piglets will boop Chamboi on the nose. 

The orphaned elephants:

Mayan and Vaarti are preparing to graduate from Kaluku and take the next step in their reintegration journey. It’s a poignant moment for the Kaluku team, who have known both boys since they were rescued — Mayan in December 2018 and Vaarti in September 2019. But they are ready to make the move, and of course, this is the goal of our Orphans’ Project, helping orphaned elephants reclaim their rightful place in the wild. 

In preparation of their move, the Keepers have spent a lot of time getting the duo used to the elephant translocation truck. While Vaarti was a model student from day one, Mayan was uncharacteristically stubborn. It took almost two weeks of practice before he consented to walk onto the truck.

Mayan and Vaarti absolutely adore each other. They love to play-fight, pulling each other’s tails and even hiding from one another in the dense bush. We know that this friendship will continue when they move to their new home together. 

Natibu seems to sense that a changing of the guard is imminent. He has always been very close to Mayan, following the older bull like a tiny shadow. Now that Mayan and Vaarti are preoccupied with their training, Natibu has accepted the fact that he is not one of the big boys yet. While he is friends with his age-mates, Mwinzi and Toto, he is equally happy to browse on his own.

We call Natibu our resident alarm clock — and he goes off at all hours! When he hears the Keepers preparing bottles in the night, he becomes very impatient and yells loudly until the milk arrives. If Natibu is not sleeping, no one else is allowed to sleep. 

Toto has integrated well into the wider Kaluku herd. He gets along well with Natibu, who readily accepted him into his baby bull gang. But above all else, he prefers the company of his Keepers, Sammy and Joseph. These days, Joseph is focused on a younger orphan, but he and Toto still reunite at the stockade compound every evening.

When Toto was a young baby and struggled to fall asleep, Joseph played music in his stable. Toto no longer needs nighttime lullabies, but he still enjoys the tradition all the same! As dusk falls, you can hear the quiet notes of music wafting out of his stable.

Mwinzi is the friendliest of all the Kaluku elephants. He loves to play with all the Keepers and the big elephants, Mayan and Vaarti. We do think he gets jealous of his agemates: While he enjoys Natibu’s company, he is not as accommodating towards Toto and the new rescue. For a long time, Mwinzi enjoyed the rather coveted status of being the only baby of the Kaluku herd. It must be an adjustment to now share that attention with several peers.

We always marvel at Mwinzi’s passion for vegetation, which has remained a constant since his rescue. He can usually be found chest deep in a shrub, feasting away. He is very diligent about this activity and prefers to browse on his own, away from the other elephants.

Twiggy the orphaned giraffe:

Thanks to all the rain that has fallen around Kaluku, Twiggy’s favourite acacia trees now have lots of delicious greens to offer. This allowed the small baobab tree at Kaluku to recover somewhat — during the drier months, it was her favourite source of vegetation, and as a result, the lower half had barely any leaves left. Twiggy recently strolled past the baobab and found that all the leaves on the lower branches had grown back. She spent an entire day finishing all the new growth, leaving the poor tree looking like it never even had the benefit of rain!

These days, Twiggy’s favourite haunt is the airstrip. She loves to hang out there and seems very interested in all the goings-on. The airstrip is a great place for an inquisitive creature like Twiggy, because it is always a hive of activity. She doesn’t seem to be scared of the planes and helicopters, although of course she is always ushered away during any take-offs and landings. 

Apollo the orphaned rhino:

Not much has changed in Apollo’s world. He is mercurial, stubborn, and runs the show at Rhino Base. As we shared last month, a small herd of zebras have taken up residence in his roaming grounds. Last month, one of the females gave birth, bringing a tiny foal into the mix. At first, Apollo delighted in chasing his striped friends, but now everyone has settled into a peaceful, easy companionship.

During the heat of the day, Apollo sometimes pulls a disappearing act within his roaming grounds. The only way for the Keepers to find him is to follow the sounds of a particular tick-eating bird, which has a very distinctive call. These birds groom Apollo by removing ticks from his thick skin while he naps in the shade. Our ornery rhino keeps dead still while the Keepers search for him, delighting in the scavenger hunt he has caused. One more than one occasion, he has surprised them by silently sneaking up from behind. As we said, Apollo runs the show!

* Apollo is now continuing his reintegration journey at Rhino Base in Tsavo East National Park