Kamboyo & Zurura playing their pushing game
Daily updates
August 1st
Kamboyo has taken to play fighting Zurura to demonstrate his strength to Sian and Loijuk and even tries to mount them and Makena, which does not please Lualeni.
August 2nd
All the elephants had a wonderful game of football with the Keepers during the mudbath hour, even Sian, who is not used to this activity. At the moment Makena is the Star, followed by Loijuk and Lualeni, but Zurura is diverted by the mudbath guests’ laughter!
The orphans at the visiting hour
August 3rd
Shida again spent a whole day on his own. Whenever he spotted the Keepers, he escaped into the bush, so the Keepers gave up trying to follow him. He brought himself back home in the evening at 7 p.m.
Shida out in the bush
August 4th
Zurura and Makena began their usual tussle early in the morning, but Lualeni, as usual, intervened, leaving Zurura to challenge Kora, his best friend, who allows him to win the play fights, giving him courage to take on all the others.
Lualeni having some greens
August 5th
Today, for the first time, there was no pus exuding from Kora’s jaw wound, so we are all hopeful that it may have healed completely.
Kora having his milk at the noon mudbath
August 6th
For the second day, there was no pus coming from Kora’s wound which is very encouraging. Let’s hope the miracle has happened!
The nursery unit heading out into the forest
August 7th
Makena can always count on the backing of Lualeni. When she tried to scare some warthogs from the mudbath, and they refused to budge, she just screamed, and Lualeni came at the double to deal with the intruders.
Atanash, one of the Trust's keepers
August 8th
Shida seems to have made up his mind to go wild. Today, he refused to follow his Keepers, and ignored them completely. He turned up at the mudbath late and also returned to the Stockades late in the evening.
Lualeni's trunk
August 9th
Loijuk loves her milk and downs her share very rapidly. Today, she wanted Zurura’s as well, and refused to be deterred by the Keepers. Zurura left his bottles, and pushed her away, then returned to finish his rations.
Zurura and Amos
August 10th
Today, Makena excelled by being the only one who took a mudbath due to the cool weather. She jumped in and entertained all the guests by wallowing very proficiently without the others. There is still no sign of pus from Kora’s jaw wound.
Makena runs towards her milk bottle
August 11th
Loijuk demanded Kamboyo’s share of milk, having finished her own. She would not be deterred by the Keeper and pushed Kamboyo hard until he fell down, screaming.
Kamboyo having his milk near the mudbath
August 12th
Shida turned up at the mudbath looking somewhat unhappy, having obviously come from far afield. He gave the Keepers the slip this morning. The Keepers encouraged him to enjoy his mudbath, after which he looked much happier.
Shida having some milk at mudbath
August 13th
When a group of warthogs came running fast towards us out in the bush, we thought that they might be being chased by a lion, but it turned out to be only a giraffe!
The orphans having fun in the mudbath
August 14th
On the way out into the forest today we happened upon two bull buffaloes who looked threatening. Everyone ran, including the elephants, and we had to change direction.
Sian and Kora browsing together
August 15th
Although Kamboyo has been with us now for quite a long time, he still prefers to spend time with the Keepers rather than the other elephants. On the other hand, Loijuk browses for a short time and then waits anxiously for the next milk feed, shoving all the others away so that she has her milk first.
Sweet Kamboyo
August 16th
Kora still likes to browse on his own, often holding a Keeper’s leg so that the Keeper remains with him. There is still no pus from the jaw, so we are hopeful that it has healed.
The orphans head for their milk
August 17th
Lualeni and Makena were leading the group when they came across a troupe of baboons. She took Makena back to the other elephants, who were following, and then charged the baboons, scattering them in all directions. When the other elephants saw the baboons fleeing, they joined in the chase.
Zurura and Kamboyo
August 18th
Sian likes to take care of Makena whenever Lualeni is some way off. She rests her trunk over Makena, in a gesture of love, just as does Lualeni. However, Makena does not suck Sian’s ears, as she does those of Lualeni. Zurura, like Kora, likes to browse apart from the others.
Sian browsing in the bush with the others
August 19th
It was a busy day in the Nursery, with all the elephants very playful, especially when they played football at the mudbath. The Keepers always think that when the orphans are happy and playful, another orphan is on its way. Amazingly, at about 5.30 p.m. we received a call from the Trust’s Chyulu De-Snaring Unit that they had rescued a female orphan that was stuck in mud in the community area. As it was too late to organise an airlift to Nairobi, we alerted Angela Sheldrick at the Mtito Trust House, who decided that the orphan be driven to the Voi Stockades for the night.
Chyulu
August 20th
The Chyulu orphan, (named Chyulu) arrived in the Nursery at midday, and immediately wanted to be with the other elephants, rather than alone. Loijuk took a great interest in her, and Makena was also very excited.
Chyulu arrives in the nursery
August 21th
Makena is very thrilled with the new baby, wanting to play with her all the time and laying her trunk lovingly across Chyulu’s back.
Chyulu with the other orphans being filmed by BBC
August 22th
Because it was very cold, we decided to leave Chyulu in her stable until the sun came out. Loijuk and all the others began searching for Chyulu, running up and down, and trumpeting. They were so insistent that in the end the Keepers let Chyulu out to go with the others, despite the cold!
A cherished newcomer Chyulu
August 23th
During the night, little Chyulu occupies the stable next door to Loijuk, and throughout the night Loijuk is in contact with her, passing her trunk through the separating bars to touch her and comfort her. First thing in the morning, when the orphans are let out of their Night Stables, Loijuk waits outside Chyulu’s door to welcome her and escort her out into the bush. Similarly Lualeni and Makena rush round to also receive her, and they all fuss over her and accompany her when the orphans head out into the forest.
Chyulu with Loijuk
August 24th
Since the arrival of little Chyulu, there has been stiff competition between Loijuk, Lualeni and Makena to be closest to her, but surprisingly Sian has shown little interest. Loijuk seems to the winning the contest, for Lualeni is reluctant to have Makena displaced by the newcomer in her affection. Makena also wants to be a little mother to Chyulu, who enjoys the undivided attention of all three young females. The Keepers expect Sian to replace Lualeni as the Nursery Mini Matriarch when Lualeni and Kora leave for Ithumba next month.
Lualeni takes an interest in Chyulu
August 25th
Disappointingly, Kora’s jaw wound has opened again to exude a lot of watery pus, just when we all thought it had healed at last. Everyone is very concerned about this because we did not expect it. Loijuk is the one who has taken Chyulu as her special baby.
Makena & Loijuk sandwich little Chyulu
August 26th
Again, Kora’s jaw exuded a lot of thick pus, which is very worrying. Today little Chyulu enjoyed playing in the mud with all the others, closely monitored by Loijuk, Lualeni and Makena.
Kora is curious about Chyulu
August 27th
Shida was lying down having a rest in the forest when some warthogs surrounded him, and began pulling ticks off his back. He enjoyed this, and allowed two of them to climb over him!
Chyulu with the bigger nursery unit eles
August 28th
Chyulu is very hungry for her milk these days, following the Keepers, and grabbing their hands to put into her mouth.
Chyulu taking her bottle from Stephen
August 29th
Shida has become very fond of a warthog family, seeking them out every morning and wanting to play with them, but they are usually more interested in food!
Chyulu eating some greens
August 30th
Very early this morning, the BBC crew accompanied the orphans into the forest when they left their night quarters. Chyulu kept on smelling the camera man and then smelling a Keeper, wondering why there was a difference! Makena played happily with Chyulu and Lualeni, closely watched by Loijuk, who was denied participation in the game by Lualeni.
Little Chyulu gets attention from Lualeni
August 31th
All the orphans were very playful today, running up and down trumpeting and breaking down small shrubs, an activity that even little Chyulu enjoyed. Shida escaped from the Keepers at l0 a.m. in the morning and did not return to his Stockade until l0 p.m. at night, having enjoyed chasing the giraffe around the rocks at 6 p.m. When he eventually came back, he was accompanied by an adult wild who escorted him back home.
Sian and Chyulu with the other orphans