At the Nursery, the month began with a grass-is-greener kind of a morning! Mzinga marched out of her stable and hovered outside Mokogodo’s room. Pretending to wait for her little friend, she was actually hoping to steal her leftover pellets. Mokogodo toddled out and Mzinga darted inside, swishing her trunk around the stable floor to scoop up any remaining pellets. Meanwhile, Mokogodo wandered into neighbour Muridjo’s room, where she did the exact same thing.
It was a grass-is-greener kind of a morning! As soon as a Keeper opened her door, Mzinga marched out of her stable and over to stand outside Mokogodo’s room. Pretending to wait for her little friend, she was actually hovering in the hope of finding leftover pellets. Mokogodo toddled out, Mzinga greeted her and darted inside her stable, swishing her trunk along the ground to scoop up exactly the same pellets as were in her own room. As she did so, Mokogodo wandered (as she often does) into neighbour Muridjo’s room. She walked around the room a couple of times, picked up some pellets and headed up the path to join the herd.
Sileita led the orphans out to browse in the forest as usual. Tomboy Mushuru is not known for fussing over little ones like Pardamat, Taroha, Mokogodo and Olomunyak but today she was at her most maternal. She spent most of the morning with Mokogodo and Olomunyak, looking after both babies but lavishing loads of trunk hugs on the little boy. Perhaps, Olomunyak will become her adopted baby!
In the afternoon, the herd gathered around the mud bath, content to drink or play or browse on a cloudy day. Muwingu, Latika and Sileita were all on Mokogodo duty. The three nannies clustered around the little girl, standing so close that the Keepers could hardly see her.
The orphans set out for the forest soon after dawn, settling down to browse close to the stockades. As the day became warmer, some massaged themselves against tree stumps or the ground as others played pushing and chasing games. Pardamat and Taroha were full of beans! After chasing Taroha through the bushes, Pardamat play-climbed onto his friend’s head and then Taroha pushed Pardamat over onto his backside. As one boy clambered to his feet, the other ran away. Catching up with Taroha, Pardamat leant against his friend whereupon Taroha let down his guard and Pardamat climbed on top of him again. And so the game continued.
Later in the morning, some of the older boys were also feeling playful. Finding a large puddle in the forest, Kitich and Loldaiga paddled and then lay down to roll around in the gloopy mud. They had a great time until Choka, Mukutan, Sholumai, Sileita, Muwingu and Mageno decided to join them. The puddle was not large enough for eight elephants and so the two boys found a patch of grass on which to continue their game. They rolled around together with Kitich play-mounting Loldaiga whenever he had the opportunity. After their early morning wallow, none of the orphans chose to get wet again during the mid-morning milk feed at the mud bath.
Raha was in a cheerful mood this morning. The little rhino toddled out of her stable with minimal encouragement and happily followed her Keeper out to the forest. She prefers eating soft grass to chewy shrubs and has a favourite kind of grass. Aware of her preference, the Keeper led her to an area with an abundance of the special grass.
The orphans browsed peacefully for a long time on a dappled-sunlight morning in the forest. Nyambeni was staying close to Mokogodo and Talek. She walked behind them or browsed next to them, trunk hugging both at every opportunity. Mzinga ambled over to join them and the two older orphans sandwiched the babies as they twisted up clumps of grass and popped them in their mouths. Nyambeni and Mzinga are showing signs of developing into strong caring matriarchs.
Later in the morning, the orphans were in playful moods. Kerrio and Nyambeni rolled around on the grass together, waving their legs in the air as they rubbed bodies. When Kerrio lay on her side to relax, Nyambeni (predictably) clambered on top of her friend, resting her forelegs and waving her trunk in circles. Not far away, Mushuru and Loldaiga were having fun in a muddy puddle in a clearing. They also rolled around together and then Mushuru play-climbed onto Loldaiga’s back and lay there resting on her friend.
As usual, the orphans walked back to the stockades in the early evening. Today, Mokogodo, Olomunyak and Talek were in the first group with Mzinga, Nyambeni, Latika and Kerrio wandering along in their wake. When Olomunyak and Talek trotted ahead (spurred on by the bottles of milk waiting outside their stables), the four older girls gathered around little Mokogodo. Mzinga and Nyambeni were in front and Latika and Kerrio behind. Whenever the little one paused, the two in front would turn around and the two behind would shove her gently with their trunks, shepherding her back to the stockades.
The rain was still falling this morning when the orphans set out from the stockades. The whole herd plodded out except for Mokogodo and Olomunyak who stayed indoors in their dry stables until the sun came out. Meanwhile, the others made the most of a very muddy forest as the drizzle continued, sliding along and rolling around on the wet ground and in pools of standing water. Shujaa was again spending time with little Pardamat, teaching the younger boy his tricks. Today, it was one of his favourites: climbing on the older girls! The two boys were play-mounting Mzinga, Nyambeni and Muridjo as the three girls massaged their bodies in a large patch of thick mud. When Muwingu and Sileita lay down in a nearby puddle, Shujaa could not resist the challenge. He climbed off Mzinga and made a beeline for Muwingu, watched by his sidekick. As Shujaa rested his bulk on Muwingu, little Pardamat toddled over to Sileita, keen to copy the older boy. He lifted his forelegs up onto Sileita, slid off and landed on his back. After a second unsuccessful attempt, he gave up and went back to playing on the smaller bulk of Muridjo.
Later in the morning, the orphans visited the mud bath for another milk feed. They padded down the path in groups, emptied their bottles and spread out around the pool to browse on supplementary greens. No one was keen on even paddling today as they had all cooled off in the forest.
After the orphans settled back out in the field, Sholumai, Weka, Mukutan, Loldaiga and Kamili wandered away. Sholumai led the others deep into the forest where they were later found by the Keepers. The five elephants were browsing happily and in no hurry to return to the herd.
This morning, the elephants browsed for a short time before the wrestling games began. Mukutan and Choka were the first to clash heads and tusks – moments later, their playfulness had spread through the herd. Kitich and Mageno played in one clearing as Loldaiga and Mushuru chased each other and pushed heads in another. When Mushuru whirled around to challenge Choka to a game, Muwingu quickly stepped in to take her place. Not far away, Muridjo was playing with Shujaa, and Taroha was wrestling against Pardamat. Once the two little boys had had enough of the game, they strolled over to play the less-energetic-but-equally-enjoyable game of clambering on top of Nyambeni and Mzinga as they reclined on the muddy ground. It was an exceptionally playful morning!
Down at the mud bath at milk-feeding time, Pardamat was at his most mischievous. As usual, the group of younger orphans arrived at the mud bath first for their bottles. He gulped down his milk and sidestepped right, pushing little Talek off her bottle held by a Keeper. Talek scuttled away and Pardamat raised his trunk and trumpeted to the Keeper, demanding another bottle. One Keeper reassured Talek as two others frogmarched the greedy boy away for a time-out in the bushes, so all the babies could enjoy their milk in peace.
Settling back out in the field in the afternoon, Weka, Muridjo, Mageno, Mzinga, Shujaa and Kitich could not resist annoying a group of impalas grazing in the forest. They gave chase through the dense bush after the antelopes. As they bush-bashed, first Weka, Mageno and Muridjo would trumpet in a chorus, and then Kitich, Shujaa and Mzinga would echo their trumpeting. As one group fell silent, the other picked up the chant. Amid all the trumpeting, the impalas just kept darting out of the way.
After an early morning browse in the forest, the herd visited the mud bath for a milk feed. As always, some Keepers sent the elephants down in groups to others waiting with bottles held aloft. Nyambeni (a competitive girl who loves to be in first position) drank her milk and padded over to the mound of soil for a roll around. Talek (an independent girl who often spends time with the Keepers) toddled down in a later group, drank her milk and joined Nyambeni on the pile of soil. The two girls began playing together – they rolled up against each other and rubbed bodies and laid trunks along the other’s back. Thereafter they spent the rest of the day together, even running back to the stockades trunk to tail in the evening. Little Talek has made a new friend!
The younger group soon left and were replaced by the older group. This morning, Choka, Sholumai and Mukutan were showing off their bottle-holding skills, standing tall with trunks clasped casually around bottles. Weka watched on enviously – as she is yet to perfect this skill.
In the forest this morning, Taroha and Pardamat were (again) testing each other’s strength, while Kitich supervised from the sidelines. The smaller Pardamat climbed onto Taroha’s head whereupon the (normally) gentle bull took a step backwards and then pushed strongly forwards. While Pardamat was on the back foot, Taroha pushed home his advantage with a couple more shoves. Kitich kept an eye on both young boys, ready to intervene if the game got out of hand.
Sholumai (who was rescued at an older age than many of the others and is the second oldest female in the herd) was at her most independent today. At first light, she stepped over the fence to feast on forbidden greens in the small garden next to Maxwell’s enclosure. Some time later in the forest, she wandered away from the herd to browse on her own, stretching her trunk up high into tall trees to pluck down tasty branches. When the Keepers whistled at her to return, she did so reluctantly, waving her trunk in indignation.
In the afternoon, as the Keepers gathered the orphans together before sending them back to the stockades for the night, Sholumai made a run for home. Ignoring the Keepers, she sprinted back to her room in search of milk. Finding her two bottles propped up outside her room, she twisted her trunk around one in an effort to feed herself. Her mission was not a success. Both bottles fell to the ground, she marched into her room and stomped around impatiently waiting while two more bottles were made up for her.
The elephant orphans set out for the forest this morning soon after dawn while Raha remained in her stable, enjoying her daily lie-in! She is rarely in a hurry to get going in the morning and sometimes has to be cajoled out of her warm room with its hanging bunch of soft greens. Today, however, Raha was in a perky mood. She waddled out of her room obediently and off up the path to the bush. After her daily meander, she visited the mud bath later in the morning. Very slowly, the little rhino walked all the way along the rope cordon (to the delight of the visitors) and lay down on her special small mound of soil. She lay still for a few minutes and then rolled over onto her back for a massage and a dust bath. Raha does almost everything at her own very deliberate and unhurried pace.
The first group of 11 younger orphans padded down the path to take her place, arriving in threes or fours. Kamili, Kerrio, Latika, Shujaa, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Taroha, Pardamat, Talek, Mokogodo and Olomunyak drank their milk and spread out around the mud bath to browse on supplementary greens. After paddling in mud pools in the forest in the early morning, no one was keen on getting wet again. Today, Taroha was shadowing big brother Shujaa, following the older boy wherever he went and imitating his behaviour. The young bull is no longer glued to his little friend Mokogodo. For her part, the small girl stood with Kerrio and Latika and then walked very slowly over to a Keeper to spend time with him. She remains quite small for her age and very quiet, thriving off constant attention from her nannies and Keepers — which she receives day and night. Pardamat was being a greedy boy again, daring to challenge Kerrio for her bottle today! The mini matriarch pushed him away calmly, making it clear that this was an impossibility.
On an overcast morning, the herd ambled out to browse in the forest, with several Keepers, Talek and Mokogodo last in line. They did not wander far before spreading out to browse. Independent Kamili walked a short distance away from the herd while Sileita and Kerrio sandwiched newbie Olomunyak between them. After filling his belly, Kitich challenged Mageno to play the pushing game. Noisy Kitich and polite Mageno are not only best friends but also well-matched opponents.
Later in the morning, Kitich drank his milk, made a beeline for the mud bath, climbed in and lay down for a roll around. Mageno also drank his milk but then wandered along the rope cordon, scratching his backside on the posts. The two friends then met in the centre of the wallow to play another game. After pushing heads, Mageno knelt with his bottom in the air while Kitich rested his front legs on his friend’s back, twirled his trunk and wiggled his body. Several other orphans splashed around the two boys as they continued to play.
The herd returned to the forest for a final wander before bedtime. Still inseparable, Kitich and Mageno led the pack down the path with Shujaa, Kamili and Mzinga in close pursuit.
It poured with rain last night – this morning, rain was dripping from the trees in a muddy forest full of puddles. As gentle nanny Latika looked after Mokogodo and Kamili browsed nearby, the big boys got stuck into yet more contests of strength. Mukutan jostled with Choka, Loldaiga with Kitich, and Mageno with plucky Shujaa (whose youth and size are offset by determination!). Little boys Taroha, Pardamat and Olomunyak stood on the sidelines, watching and taking notes.
The path down to the wallow was especially muddy. Watching the others slipping and splashing through the mud, Kerrio decided to go the long way round. She walked off into the bush, intending to circle round to the Keepers waiting with bottles of milk. Instead, she walked into three lions lying behind a bush. She braked, she flared her ears, she trumpeted in alarm. To her (and the Keepers’) relief, the lions moved out of her way. They vanished into the forest and Kerrio continued on her way to the mud bath.
Like Muwingu, Sileita is something of a tomboy. Mini matriarchs aren’t typically known for their sense of play – they’re too busy with their nannying duties to give the older bulls much time – but Sileita finds time to do it all! This morning in the forest, she was playing with ‘senior boys’ Mukutan and Choka. After egging them on with some fancy footwork and trunk twirling, she re-inserted herself into the fray when they showed signs of getting distracted. Wonderful Sileita really does hold her own!
Following more downpours of rain during the night, Raha was keen for a lie-in. The obstinate little girl stood in the corner of her room with her back to her Keeper, making her point extremely clearly. She was NOT going out to the forest. Only when the day became warmer could her patient Keeper cajole her out of her stable and up the muddy path to the forest. Raha toddled out particularly slowly today and then settled down to graze on her favourite soft green grass.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, the ground was so slippery that Raha almost fell over. She was determined to do her daily lap around the rope cordon and to eat the leaves off branches of lucerne, no matter what.
Mushuru and Kamili led the herd out to the forest on another cloudy morning. They browsed quietly in an area close to the stockades with budding matriarchs Sileita, Muwingu, Latika and Kerrio keeping close eyes on the babies. Mokogodo was sticking close to a Keeper, walking along slowly behind him as she carefully plucked up clumps of grass. Not far away, Taroha was playing with his newest girlfriend, Talek. This gentle bull plays with girls as much or more than he does with boys. A well-matched pair, Taroha and Talek entwined trunks and pushed heads and then played a little chasing game. Olomunyak was browsing nonchalantly near a Keeper, preparing for his favourite party trick – sneaking back to the stockades! (The newbie has settled in well and is full of feisty energy.) Gradually, he moved a few metres away to the other side of some bushes and then made a run for it. He sprinted for his stable (hoping to find tasty treats inside). Today, his escape was spotted by Muwingu and Sileita – they headed him off and shepherded Olomunyak back to the fold.
Rather than venturing deep into the forest, the herd remained close to the stockades today. The Keepers kept them close after coming across the three lions early in the morning – following the recent rains, the bush is dense and so it is difficult to see any distance. After hearing the lions roar, sensible little Raha remained especially close to home. She ate very little, remaining on her guard all day.
Shujaa and Mzinga (who sleep in neighbouring stables) woke up in playful moods today. When a Keeper opened his door (in response to a trunk twirling over the top), Shujaa padded out and over to the lower gate of Maxwell’s enclosure where he stood massaging his rump. Moments later, Mzinga popped out of her room and dashed over to join her favourite playmate, swaying her trunk. The two friends nudged each other with their heads, entwined trunks and then extended them through the gaps in the gate to greet Maxwell. Aware of their presence, the blind black rhino was standing close to his gate. He remained still as they touched him affectionately before chasing each other up the path to the forest. Maxwell bent down to rub his horn against the ground and strolled over to his large pile of pellets. Meanwhile, Nyambeni was still in her stable. When a Keeper whistled to her, she trumpeted her refusal and stood in the corner. The area outside the stockades was wet and muddy and her stable was warm and dry. Kerrio rumbled and, reluctantly, Nyambeni walked very slowly out to join her favourite nanny.
On a quiet afternoon, the elephants visited the mud bath as usual where they stood around drinking from the trough or picking up pieces of lucerne. No one needed to cool down as it was an overcast day. They ambled back out to the forest before sprinting home (to another milk feed and warm dry stables) in small groups.
As Mzinga and Shujaa played pushing games outside the stockades this morning, Mushuru padded quietly past them heading in the opposite direction from the forest. To the surprise of the Keepers — because Mushuru likes to look after Olomunyak, Talak, and Taroha, but rarely spends time with the baby — she stopped outside little Mokogodo’s stable. Moments later, Olomunyak and Taroha slowly walked out of their stables and stood next to her. Mokogodo toddled out to find one nanny and two friends waiting for her.
They escorted Mokogodo out to join the herd in the stockade area, boys in front and Mushuru bringing up the rear. Latika greeted them with a loud trumpet that sent Sileita and Nyambeni running towards the mini herd to check that all was well. Inevitably, Sileita scooped up Mokogodo and Mushuru was left with new buddies Olomunyak and Taroha. Deciding that Mokogodo needed more protection than just Sileita could offer, Weka began running at the bulls, not allowing any of the boys to come close. Choka and Mukutan then began a wrestling match, ignoring the Keepers as they whistled to the orphans that it was time to head out.
Eventually, the team of patient Keepers succeeded in pushing and cajoling and shepherding their herd of elephants out from the stockades. They spread out to browse in a lush green forest dripping with dew.
In the night, there was a downpour of rain and intermittent thunderstorms. In the morning, although the elephants were warm and dry in their rooms, the area outside the stockades was awash. Today, there was more than just mud and puddles – rivulets of water flowed along every path. The Keepers opened the doors of the older orphans’ stockades but kept the babies – Olomunyak, Taroha, Talek, Pardamat, Mokogodo and Raha – indoors.
The herd headed out to the forest where many of them had fun in the puddles. Kerrio, Nyambeni and Muridjo splashed around in one pool of rainwater as Shujaa and Mzinga paddled in another. Loldaiga and Kitich did their daily contest of strength in a third muddy puddle. Muwingu was at her most maternal: Today, it was her rather than Sileita or Kerrio who snuck back to the stockades in search of the babies. She stood outside Talek’s and Pardamat’s rooms, rumbling to them. As the weather had improved, a Keeper allowed the babies out and she escorted them to the herd. Tomboy Mushuru (who is showing signs of becoming a most capable nanny) welcomed the newbie and remained glued to Olomunyak for almost the whole day.
This morning, the Keepers led the whole herd out to the forest. As the day was warmer, there was no need for the babies to stay in their stables but Pardamat, Olomunyak, Taroha, Talek and Mokogodo were wearing their cosy blue blankets. The orphans spread out to enjoy the abundance of browse. In an out-of-character move, Mzinga and Sileita disappeared. Rather than walking further into the forest, the two elephants had sneaked back to the stockades in search, not of babies, but of the tasty soft leaves in their stables. When two Keepers pushed them back in the direction of the forest, the normally biddable girls rebelled. As they ran along the paths and in and out of stockades, they trumpeted several times. Hearing the mini matriarch and her little sidekick trumpeting, the orphans out in the bush reacted. Some stopped browsing and listened, some rumbled back, and some sprinted for the stockades. Luckily, the situation did not descend into chaos as SIleita and Mzinga responded to the rumbles from the forest by running back to the herd. A flurry of trunk touches and rumbling ensued and then, at last, everyone began browsing again.
The rest of the day was unremarkable. As usual, the orphans visited the mud bath in the morning and again in the afternoon. As the sun had come out, Sholumai, Weka and Muridjo splashed in the thick mud in the afternoon as Kamili and Latika rubbed their faces along the edge. Meanwhile, Mzinga, Nyambeni and Shujaa rolled around on the mound of soil, enjoying a soothing dust bath while playing with their friends.
The orphans move fastest at milk-feeding times. This morning in the forest, the Keepers sent the older orphans down first for their bottles of milk. The big boys and girls sprinted through the trees, rumbling in anticipation. As some jostled over whose bottle was whose, Sholumai padded in quietly at the end of the line. Rescued when she was almost two, she remains a shy girl who keeps herself to herself and is rarely found playing.
Nannies and babies followed along in the big ones’ wake with Mzinga and Muridjo leading the charge and Kerrio and Sileita padding along at the end of the line. Feisty Pardamat gulped down his milk, twirled around and reversed into Talek as she finished off every drop of milk that had fallen from her bottle onto the ground. As Talek recovered her balance, Pardamat stepped to the left and gave Taroha a shove. He was hoping for some extra milk but all he achieved was a telling off from Kerrio and Sileita. The two nannies gathered around the boys, rumbling as they checked on Taroha who, ever optimistic, trumpeted his demand for an extra bottle as Pardamat turned tail and headed for the bushes. One is pushy and the other is gentle but both are growing into strong healthy bulls!
The newest baby is settling in well. Olomunyak has found his feet and is learning to hold his own in toddler squabbles. This afternoon at the mud bath, Pardamat strode over to him in the hope (again) of some extra milk. Olomunyak faced the other young bull and trumpeted, refusing to give up his bottle. Taroha stepped in as an extremely useful wing man and the two boys pushed naughty Pardamat away.
The orphans moved in a straggly line through the forest this morning with the Keepers bringing up the rear ensuring that everyone was present and correct. Clad in red blankets, Mokogodo, Talek and Olomunyak wandered along just in front of the Keepers who were resting gentle hands on backs and rumps in encouragement. The orphans spread out to browse in small groups – the older ones stretched their trunks up high into trees as the little ones twisted up clumps of grass.
Despite the cloudy day, Raha was full of beans. This morning, she led two Keepers up the path to the forest, bouncing as she waddled along in search of soft tasty greens. Later at the mud bath, she was still full of energy. She jogged along the rope cordon, still clad in a blanket tied round her belly. Occasionally she paused to make little mock charges (accompanied by squeaking sounds) at the visitors. Lap of honour over, she rolled around on her special small mound of soil. When it was time to leave, she trotted along behind her Keeper as the first group of orphans padded in to take her place.
After a night of heavy rain, the Keepers led the orphans out as usual in the early morning. The forest was one large puddle! As the older elephants enjoyed a paddle and a splash, Taroha lay down in an impromptu puddle, wiggling his trunk in the flowing water. Muridjo was playing in another pool of water, kicking up enormous splashes with her feet and spraying water in every direction. The standing water did not stop the big boys from their daily games – Mukutan wrestled against Loldaiga as Choka and Kitich tested each other’s strength nearby. Kamili, meanwhile, focused her attention on plucking up tasty soft greens.
As the herd browsed and played, Olomunyak sneaked off back to the stockades (again). He stood outside his stable trying (unsuccessfully) to open the door. When a Keeper tried to shepherd him back to the forest, he stood his ground and trumpeted indignantly. Eventually, he was tempted back up the path with an (empty) bottle of milk. Arriving among the herd, his new friends gathered around, welcoming him back with rumbles and trunk touches.
Later in the morning, the orphans visited the mud bath for another milk feed with Mokogodo and Talek still wearing their blue blankets. As Mokogodo stood quietly on her own, Latika walked over to check on her, laying her trunk along her back. Mukutan knelt to rub his face in the mud as Weka and Kerrio entwined trunks. Shujaa was at a distance from the group, standing tall with tiny tusks posing like an older bull.
The elephants were full of energy in the muddy forest again this morning. While Kerrio and Latika browsed next to some of the babies, Mushuru and Talek dashed around. On high alert (for an unknown reason), they strode backwards and forwards between bushes and trees, shaking heads and waving trunks. Meanwhile, the rest of the herd continued to browse – except for Choka and Kitich who were playing the clamber-all-over-each-other game.
Later in the morning, the first group of younger elephants visited the mud bath and then the second group of older ones. The Keepers sent Choka, Kitich, Loldaiga, Mageno, Mukutan, Muridjo, Mushuru, Muwingu, Sholumai, Sileita and Weka down in groups of three or four for their milk. Most emptied their two bottles and ambled on – but not Weka. She followed the Keepers around, trumpeting her demands for a third bottle, and then tried to pinch one from the wheelbarrow. On the other side of the mud bath, Sileita, Muwingu and Loldaiga were playing in the mud. Sileita rolled around on her back and rubbed her torso against the thick mud. Then Loldaiga knelt on the matriarch while Muwingu hosed muddy water in every direction.
After yet more rain in the night, the morning was cool and the forest was awash with muddy puddles. Sholumai and Mukutan led the herd out to browse in an area close to the stockades. The orphans were in subdued moods, standing quietly in groups as the drizzle continued to fall. Later in the morning after the orphans had woken up, Sholumai waded into an enormous pool of rainwater. She sucked up trunkfuls to drink and also to spray along her back. Some minutes later, many others joined her in the pool. Older bulls Choka and Mageno twisted trunks, clashed heads and got stuck into a noisy wrestling match. As the contest went on and on, Shujaa became so excited that he tried to mount Mageno. Silly move! The older bull turned quickly - and the younger bull was sent flying.
Raha was reluctant to leave her warm dry stable this morning. Her Keeper allowed her a lie-in (because of the weather) and walked out to the forest with her later than usual. Clad in a double layer of blankets, the small rhino plodded up the path and settled down to browse on her favourite green leaves.
In the afternoon, Mzinga was in an out-of-character feisty mood. She challenged big sister Muridjo and pushed her so hard that she fell over. Anticipating a noisy toddler squabble, two Keepers intervened, sending the orphans off in opposite directions. Moments later, they made up and began browsing together.
As the orphans ambled out to the green forest this morning, Mukutan, Kerrio and Shujaa hung a left! Rather than carrying on to a field of lush browse, one by one they clambered up two steps onto a stone platform. The steps are steep and the task was tricky. Their goal was the browse growing around the platform, which is the exact same vegetation as the forest, but never mind — it was a grass-is-greener moment. The Keepers whistled, they clumsily climbed down and padded along to catch up with the herd.
During the morning milk feed in the bush, Mokogodo was asking for more! She drank her milk carefully as always, wandered on a few paces and turned back to the Keepers. Trunk raised and mouth wide open, she was pretending that she had not yet been fed. When this ploy did not work, she went to the wheelbarrow in search of milk. The Keepers were happy to see the sweetest and smallest baby in the Nursery being assertive.
Shy Kamili was in a sociable mood today. (She is not the strongest member of the herd and tends to be wary of feisty orphans like Muwingu, Weka, Mukutan and Choka.) At the mud bath this morning, she mingled happily with the others and then played the pushing game with Mushuru, darting around with head and tail held high.
To his delight, Maxwell’s enclosure was awash with muddy puddles this morning. Acting like a rhino half his age, he paddled around and lay down in the largest puddle. Snorting loudly, he even rolled over onto his back for a moment and waved his legs in the air.
As usual, the orphans headed out to the forest led by their Keepers. They spread out to browse and then to play. This morning, Latika (the orphan with the shortest trunk) was being unusually possessive with blanket babies Mokogodo, Taroha, Talek and Olomunyak. She fussed around them and trunk touched each in turn and tried to stop nannies like Kerrio, Sileita, Mushuru, Muwingu, Mzinga and Nyambeni from coming close. Latika is a gentle girl and rarely stands up to other older females. Respecting their friend, Kerrio and Sileita left her with the babies.
In the afternoon, Pardamat was pushing the boundaries with the Keepers. He is such a greedy boy that the Keepers decided recently to add some oats to his bottle even though he is only one. On most days, this tactic is successful but not today. After gulping down his milk in the forest, he kept pestering the Keepers for a second bottle, trying to pinch one from the wheelbarrow whenever their backs were turned. When he failed in this quest, Pardamat behaved little a spoilt baby, pushing Taroha and Talek for no reason before striding away to spend time with the older orphans.
On an overcast morning following downpours of rain during the night, the elephants walked slowly out to the forest. They browsed quietly in small groups and, when it began to rain again, they clustered together, waiting out the rain beneath the trees. The older ones stood protectively around the smaller ones.
Despite the weather, little Raha was feeling perky. She trotted out of her stockade, making squeaky sounds and jumping up and down. On most days, her Keeper leads her up the path but not today. Raha led the way, skipping ahead of her carer and then slowing down. As soon as he caught up with her, she ran ahead again, splashing through the standing water in the forest. Later in the morning at the mud bath, Raha strolled along the rope cordon and lay down. She rolled around in the mud while her Keeper shovelled extra wet soil all over her. Standing up, she ran around in a circle and had a dust bath on a small mound of soil.
The elephants soon took Raha’s place at the mud bath. No one went paddling or swimming today. Instead, they drank from the water trough or picked up pieces of supplementary lucerne before paddling through puddles on the way back to the forest.
Although they are no longer glued to each other all day, Taroha and Mokogodo are still the best of friends. As they wandered in the forest this morning, they came across a thin stream of flowing rainwater. Taroha walked through the water but Mokogodo came to a standstill on the edge. The kind little bull walked back, stood behind her, draped his trunk along her back and pushed her gently through the water.
Later in the morning, the orphans visited a mud bath surrounded by puddles. As most of the older orphans stood around the edges, Kitich, Loldaiga and Mushuru paddled in the pool. They stood belly to belly, leaning into each other as they rubbed their faces along the edge. When the Keepers whistled, the orphans (like yesterday) paddled their way back to the forest.
The sun came out in the afternoon. After gulping down their milk, Muridjo and Shujaa (the champion divers in the Nursery) climbed into the mud bath. Shujaa knelt and submerged his body first and Muridjo soon did the same. As the two friends wallowed around, Shujaa could not resist his favourite game. He climbed on top of Muridjo, she trumpeted in annoyance, and the game came to an end.
Last night, there were thunderstorms and downpours of rain and many of the orphans did not sleep well. When the rain finally stopped at dawn, Mukutan, Weka, Kerrio, Kitich, Mageno and Loldaiga, exhausted after their wakeful night, lay down on beds of dry hay and fell asleep. Opening the doors almost an hour later, the Keepers found Kerrio, Kitich, Mageno and Loldaiga still fast asleep. As some men ushered sleepy orphans out of their stables, others woke up the four sleeping orphans. The herd gathered in the muddy area outside the stockades and padded very slowly out to the forest.
In contrast to the elephants, Maxwell was full of energy. He ran up and down his muddy enclosure and rolled around in a large puddle. The only dry area was his covered bedroom but he didn’t mind!
Meanwhile, the orphans were waking up properly as they browsed on the abundance of soft greens. Mushuru is not the most playful of girls but today was different. Out in the forest, she and Kitich played the pushing game for a long time, clashing heads and chasing each other around - until the game was spoilt by Loldaiga who strolled over, ignored Mushuru and challenged his best friend to a wrestling match. Mushuru was so disappointed that she charged at Loldaiga, drove him away and bit his tail! Loldaiga trumpeted as he ran and the Keepers headed off an indignant Mushuru.
Feisty and friendly, Shujaa lives up to his name which means hero in Kiswahili. This morning, as is his habit, he strode out of his stable and over to Maxwell’s gate. Rumbling in greeting, he extended his trunk though the gaps as the rhino stood contentedly on the other side. Maxwell moved his head slightly as Shujaa draped his trunk on him. Muridjo soon ambled over to join them. She greeted Maxwell before asking Shujaa to wrestle against her, a challenge he happily accepted.
The herd headed out in a straggly line led by some Keepers and with others shepherding Olomunyak, Talek and Mokogodo along at the end. When the orphans arrived in the woods, the majority settled down to browse excepting Kitich and Loldaiga who only wanted to play wrestling and chasing games. After playing for a time, one would pretend to surrender, hide behind a tree, recover their strength and then pop out to continue. Then the other would do something similar. Only the prospect of a milk feed brought the game to an end.
At times, Muwingu can be a little over-protective of little Mokogodo! Whenever she hears the baby complain, she chases away anyone who happens to be near her, without pausing to check if anything is actually wrong. Today, as Mzinga and Nyambeni stood quietly next to Mokogodo, the little girl trumpeted. Muwingu ran over, disciplined her two (innocent) friends and pushed them away!
As it was raining this morning, blanket babies Mokogodo and Olomunyak stayed in their stables when the rest of the herd headed out to the forest. Muridjo dug her heels in – refusing to move without the two babies. Muwingu followed her example – not only refusing to move but dodging away from the Keepers down to Olomunyak’s stable. Muridjo is becoming close to Mokogodo and Muwingu loves newbie Olomunyak. The two girls played hide and seek, the Keepers stuck to their guns and, eventually, persuaded them to join the herd.
Out in the forest, the Keepers sent the orphans down in groups for a milk feed. With Nyambeni in the lead (as usual), the first group of four sprinted through the trees down to the line of Keepers. Talek and Mzinga were also in this group. Talek drinks her milk with great care, emptying the bottle and then sucking up every drop that has fallen to the ground. This morning, Mzinga was copying her quirky habit!
Later in the morning at the mud bath, Raha trotted along the line as fast as her stout legs could carry her and nipped underneath it several times. Her Keeper shepherded her back each time before shovelling wet mud on her when she lay down on the mound of soil. As she was (reluctantly) leaving, Nyambeni was jogging down the path to the mud bath. Spotting the little rhino, the elephant headed in her direction to say hello. Raha accelerated away, Nyambeni ran after her but was intercepted by a Keeper. The friendly orphan turned back for her milk as Shujaa, arriving at the mud bath, climbed onto the platform to avoid getting more mud on his feet!
The weather was brighter this morning. The sun was shining when the Keepers led the whole herd out to the forest. Latika ushered babies Mokogodo and Olomunyak up the path with Kerrio and Weka walking along behind. The orphans browsed quietly on the abundance of greens – except for Choka and Mukutan who had a noisy disagreement over an especially tasty branch. Choka pulled it down from the tree and, when Mukutan tried to grab it, drove the bull away with a shove and a trumpet.
Later in the morning at the mud bath, two Keepers were peeling the bark off branches for little Mokogodo. Talek was not happy about the special attention being given to the baby. The jealous girl approached Mokogodo from behind and shoved her hard, whereupon she trumpeted in alarm. Before the Keepers could intervene, Mzinga took charge of the situation. She strode over, helped Mokogodo to her feet and trunk hugged her before sending Talek to the bushes for a time-out!
Last night, a cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in the stockades! The cat is familiar with the elephants and was seen running around in the early evening by the Keepers. Eventually, she went into Talek’s stable and settled down in a corner on a pile of dry hay. Talek was happy to share her sleeping quarters but Pardamat (who sleeps next door) was not! He pushed at the wall and made an enormous fuss while being completely ignored by both Talek and the cat. In the morning, the Keepers found the cat and several kittens still lying in Talek’s stable and the little girl standing quietly next to them.
Pardamat (who is growing into a strong mischievous bull) caused another commotion at the mud bath later in the morning. He made a move to push Taroha but his age mate moved sideways at the last minute and Pardamat instead headbutted Nyambeni! His big sister was not putting up with this behaviour. She drove him towards Mzinga who also pushed him away – the two sisters made naughty Pardamat stand on his own in the corner!
In the afternoon, as the orphans spread out around the mud bath, Sholumai headbutted Muridjo whereupon Sileita ran over to protect the younger girl and see off the older one. Everyone else continued browsing on supplementary lucerne or drinking from the trough, knowing that the mini matriarch of the herd had the situation well under control!