The energy of Muridjo, Mzinga, and Shujaa was infectious. While some orphans joined the chase, others spontaneously broke out into pushing games or rolled around on a large patch of dry earth. Only two continued to browse quietly: Youngsters Olomunyak and Talek remained by the Keepers, knowing they were out of the fracas and in the best possible position for the next milk feed.

We had some rainy days this month. In the wild, elephants must brave the elements — but some of our youngsters aren’t quite ready for that. One rainy morning, Olomunyak strolled over to greet a Keeper… and to take up residence beneath the umbrella he was holding! Pardamat was next in line, followed closely by Mzinga. Soon, both elephants stood snuggled up to the Keeper and his umbrella.

Mageno has become an explorer. Full of confidence, this growing bull likes to lead the herd deep into the forest. Some days, he guides a small group of friends off into the bush; other days, he heads off on his own. During one of these explorations, he accidentally ambled into the path of two white rhinos. He twirled around, trumpeted in alarm, and ran back to the herd, while the rhinos placidly continued grazing.

August marked Kerrio’s third ‘rescueversary.’ The strong leader we see today is unrecognisable from the frail, frightened calf we rescued three years ago. Kerrio has blossomed into a healthy, caring girl and a wonderful mini matriarch, beloved by all. Interestingly for a mini matriarch — who are typically quite serious and studious by nature — Kerrio has a fantastic fun side. Shujaa is one of her favourite playmates, but she also has time for the big boys. One afternoon, she was having an excellent time chasing around Mukutan, but she drew the line at being mounted by the older bull. When he clambered on top of her, she shoved him off and marched away. 

That infraction aside, Mukutan is normally very well behaved. He may be the Nursery’s dominant bull, but he is rarely rough towards the younger members of the herd. We often find him hanging out with Sholumai, Choka, Kitich, Loldaiga, and sometimes Mushuru — all older orphans who seem to prefer ‘senior’ company to the oft-fussy babies.

Muwingu is a bit of a tomboy. She enjoys nannying the youngsters, particularly Mokogodo, but she is perhaps even more fond of hanging out with the boys, notably Kitich and Loldaiga.

We had a wonderfully amusing moment with Kitich and Choka at the midday milk feed one morning. Kitich trumpeted loudly as he jogged down the path, as if heralding his own arrival. Choka arrived quietly but refused to drink his milk next to any other elephant. He pushed them away and insisted on being given his bottle away from the others. The two friends then began a serious wrestling match, twisting their trunks and clashing around the mud bath. They made sure they stole the show!

Sileita continues to hold the role of the Nursery’s main mini matriarch, although she is ably assisted by several competent nannies. One morning, she found Talek, Taroha, Pardamat, and Olomunyak standing on tiptoes with trunks stretched up high, trying to reach some delicious-looking green leaves high in a tree. Observing the situation, Sileita took pity on the little gang. She plucked down a bunch of branches for the four elephants, popping them on the ground in front of them. 

While most of her Nursery peers are baby-obsessed, Kamili never jostles for the opportunity to be top nanny. In fact, she has very little interest in looking after the babies — especially the badly-behaved ones! One morning, cheeky Pardamat dared to take a bite out of a branch she was holding. Kamili pushed Pardamat so hard that he tumbled over like a bowling pin. The Keepers intervened, Kamili went back to browsing, and Pardmat walked away in a sulk.

Taroha is becoming very attached to Latika and sometimes rumbles to her from his bedroom. It has become Latika’s custom to amble over to Taroha’s stable first thing in the morning, so she can escort him out into the forest. Latika also has a soft spot for Olomunyak. They often browse together and she becomes restless when he wanders away to hang out with the Keepers, as is his habit. She has stiff competition in the form of Weka, who is besotted with ‘Ollie.’ As soon as she catches sight of him, she ditches her friends and begins fussing over the little boy.

Truth be told, Olomunyak has no shortage of fans. Biddable, gentle Mushuru has also fallen under his spell. One day, when we split the herd into groups for the midday mud bath, Mushuru dug in her heels, because she did not want to be separated from her little friend. When she heard Olomunyak trumpeting for his favourite nanny, she was only too happy to answer the call and sprinted over, ears wide and tail straight like an aeroplane wing. 

We often marvel at Mzinga and Nyambeni, who act wiser than their two years of age. They remain the very best of friends, but they are also branching out: Mzinga can often be found shadowing older girls Mushuru and Kerrio, while Nyambeni has been busy looking after Talek and Olomunyak. She is almost the same size as the youngsters, but behaves as if she is several years older! 

Chunky Loldaiga is less keen on milk than most of his peers. When we gather the orphans for their milk feed, he often pauses along the way for another mouthful of greens while his friends thunder past. Sometimes, he even chooses to snack from the branches and lucerne pellets while his Keeper waits expectantly with his bottle of milk. 

Pardamat and Talek are friends, neighbours, playmates, and rivals. Sleeping in neighbouring stables, the two young elephants can often be heard squabbling through the night, trying to pinch each other’s greens and trumpeting indignantly while everyone else is trying to sleep. Yet, as soon as they emerge from their rooms, they are best friends again, happily setting out to the forest together.

Shujaa, who has sprouted two little tusks, is our current pushing game teacher. Having honed his skills against Kerrio, he is now training the younger bulls. We often find Olomunyak trailing along behind him, like a doting younger brother. Shujaa is careful to play a gentle version of the game with Olomunyak, much to his small adversary’s delight. Shujaa has also been hanging out with Taroha and Pardamat, showing them his clever tricks.

Sholumai — our quiet girl with the longest tusks — used to be shy and solitary, but she is starting to find her voice. En route to the mid-morning milk feed, she stood resolutely in the path so no one could get past her. We wondered where the old, shy Sholumai had gone. The first groups came to a halt, uncertain as to what to do, but then crafty Nyambeni and Mageno found an alternate path. The other orphans followed suit, leaving Sholumai standing alone. Remembering that it was milk time, she padded down the path as she hadn’t just caused the entire drama.

It has been lovely to see Weka’s nurturing side emerge — but she remains a rascal at heart. Late one night, as the rest of the herd was sleeping, our naughty girl was on a covert mission to steal her neighbours’ food. When her trunk appeared through the gaps into Sileita’s room, the mini matriarch trumpeted and pushed Weka back where she belonged. Then, when Choka saw her pinching his greens, he played her at her own game, stretching his own trunk through the partition and helping himself to Weka’s pile. Inevitably, the kerfuffle led to lots of rumbling and trumpeting, and before long, the entire compound was awake. Fortunately, it was also time for the midnight milk feed. Weka was trumpeting loudly, so we decided to feed her first. She drank her bottles, calmed down, and was soon fast asleep!

Poor Mokogodo’s condition continued to dip throughout the month. Our veterinary specialists have concluded that she is suffering from malabsorption and milk intolerance. We are doing everything we can, leaving no stone unturned, and we can only hope for a miracle. Mokogodo certainly knows she is adored. Every morning, she is met by a crew of nannies and friends, all eager to claim time with the tiny, blanket-clad girl. 

One afternoon, Mokogodo had a lovely moment with Raha. She encountered the young rhino out in the forest and walked over to her in a friendly manner. Raha does not usually reciprocate the elephants’ overtures of friendship, but something was different about this day. The small elephant approached Raha and laid her trunk along her back. Raha tolerated the attention and the two calmly browsed within sight of each other. 

The rhinos:

Raha is becoming quite the adventurer. Nowadays, she wakes up eager to set forth (in the past, she was reluctant to leave her warm, dry stable) and spends less time suckling her Keeper’s trouser leg. The stocky little rhino marches up the path and out to the forest, choosing her preferred path. She uses her stub nose to push small trees, stones, and occasionally, her Keepers! 

But with that said, Raha is still a rhino — which means she is very stubborn. One morning, she woke up at her most obstinate. The little princess stood in the corner of her room with feet planted in the straw. When a Keeper opened her door, she gazed at him blankly, making it clear that she was not budging. He could tell from her stance that trying to cajole her out would be a waste of time, so he gave Raha the lie-in she demanded and came to fetch her a little while later.

Maxwell was thrilled with another rainy month. One afternoon, he was making the most of the impromptu mud slicks that had materialised all over his enclosure. He lay on his side, rubbed his body, and even rolled onto his back, somehow balancing for a few moments before tumbling back onto his belly.

Much like Raha, Maxwell enjoys a lie-in on colder mornings. The blind black rhino has an enormous bed of hay in a sheltered area of his enclosure. He rests inside until he is well and ready — usually, when the sun is high in the sky and shining brightly. Despite being blind, Max negotiates his surroundings with ease, sensing exactly where his mud bath and piles of pellets are. He enjoys morning visits from the orphaned elephants and seems particularly fond of Shujaa and Mzinga.