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As always, the orphans padded out of their rooms soon after dawn and headed to the forest with some Keepers in the lead and others bringing up the rear. As everyone else continued to browse quietly, pulling up tasty greens and popping them into their mouths, Muridjo, Mzinga and Shujaa began playing with a family of warthogs. The three friends and agemates ran after the pigs, chasing them through the bushes amid lots of trumpeting and whistling. Enjoying the game, the warthogs would dart away, trot back and begin grazing again within tempting range of the excited orphans (who of course had no chance of catching their quarry).

The energy of Muridjo, Mzinga and Shujaa was infectious! Some orphans joined the chase as others played pushing games or rolled around on a large patch of dry earth. Only two continued to browse quietly amid the antics of the herd – Olomunyak and Talek (two of the youngest members of the herd) hardly lifted their heads. The two babies browsed close to the Keepers, knowing that they were safe and in the best possible position for the next milk feed!

Later in the morning, Raha, the baby rhino, had a nap on a rocky outcrop which had absorbed the sun’s warmth. After toddling around behind her Keepers and grazing on greens, she found a flat area which was perfect for her purpose. A blanket-clad Raha lay down for a doze, knowing that she was safe in her Keeper’s care.

Kamili has become more playful but still likes to do her own thing. While most of her Nursery peers are baby-obsessed, she never jostles for the opportunity to be top nanny. This morning in the forest, she did a graceful belly dance which earned the admiration of friends Muwingu and Loldaiga.

Mushuru is a biddable gentle girl, following the Keepers’ instructions and generally keeping a low profile. She has recently developed a strong bond with little Olomunyak and is often found fussing over him in the forest. When we split the herd into groups to send them down for a milk feed at the mud bath in the afternoon, Mushuru dug in her heels, because she wanted to be with the little boy. She stood close to little Mokogodo, whose main nannies are Sileita and Kerrio, and would not budge! She was only too happy to ignore the Keepers but not the distinctive trumpeting coming from the mud bath. As soon as she heard Olomunyak call out, Mushuru sprinted down the path to her beloved baby.

In the afternoon, several elephants played in a muddy area of the forest. They paddled and splashed around together. Shujaa was the first to lie spreadeagled in the mud, waving his trunk and spraying mud with his front legs. Watching his antics, Kerrio decided to join him and lay happily on her tummy in the sludge.

Early this morning, we caught Maxwell enjoying a foot spa while the orphaned elephants were still in their stables! After a quick drink, he lugged his enormous foot over the rim, plonked in it the water trough and wiggled it around while somehow balancing on three legs — no mean feat for the large rhino.

Out in the forest on an overcast morning, Loldaiga and Mushuru found a puddle of thick mud that was perfect for playing. They lay on their sides, rubbing against each other as they covered every part of their bodies with gloopy mud, and then stood up for a slippery game of pushing.

Latika — the elephant with the shortest trunk in the herd — was full of feisty energy today. After emptying her first bottle of milk at the mud bath this morning, rather than standing calmly to wait for her second, Latika followed the Keeper to the wheelbarrow and began demanding her milk! He whistled at her to relax whereupon she twirled around, gave innocent bystanders Nyambeni and Shujaa two unwarranted shoves, and ran into the bush. We called her, she climbed into the wallow (still feeling grumpy) and would not allow anyone to join her in the pool. Even little Talek was given a push when she attempted a paddle! Latika is usually a low-key kind of a girl, but not today!

Last night was a very interrupted night, thanks to the naughtiest girl in the Nursery — the infamous Weka! Late in the evening, many orphans (in particular the babies) lay sleeping on beds of straw as others stood at the back of their stables snacking on lucerne and pellets. Not content with just her own portion, Weka began stretching her trunk into her neighbours’ rooms to pinch their food, much to their annoyance. When her trunk appeared through the gaps between her room and Sileita’s, the mini matriarch trumpeted and pushed Weka back where she belonged. 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 which woke up many of the younger orphans. Luckily it was soon time for the midnight milk feed. as we mixed the bottles of milk, Weka was trumpeting loudly and so we decided to feed her first. She drank her bottles, calmed down, and was soon fast asleep!

This morning in the forest, as other members of the herd grazed sensibly around him, Mageno decided that the greens were so tasty that he should store a large stash. What began as a small clump on top of his head ended up as a blanket covering most of his back! Admiring his handiwork, Loldaiga pulled up a large clump of greens and attempted to plonk them on top of his head! He was not successful and so was left standing with his greens, unable to fit them in his mouth yet reluctant to let go of them.

The herd headed out to the forest in the early morning where they stood browsing in a cluster. When the sun came out, they played pushing games or massaged themselves against tree stumps until it was time for another milk feed. Mukutan, Sileita and Sholumai were hanging out – they stood next to each other, rubbing themselves against a tree while touching trunks.

Later in the morning, we shepherded the orphans into groups or three or four and sent them down the path to the mud bath. Halfway down was a very large obstacle! Sholumai — the girl with the longest tusks, who used to be shy and preferred to feed on her own — was blocking their way. She stood resolutely side-on and 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 somehow nipped past her. This inspired the rest to also take a longer route and soon Sholumai was left standing alone. Remembering that it was milk time, she padded down the path as if nothing untoward had happened.

The sun was still shining in the afternoon and many orphans had a cooling dip in the mud wallow. As Weka played with the water bucket, placing her foot in it and tipping the water out, Taroha wallowed on the edge of the pool. The water baby was soon joined by Loldaiga and Sileita who cavorted around together in the thick mud, draping trunks and pushing against each other.

Mokogodo was keen to get going this morning, pushing at her door from dawn onwards. Big sisters Mzinga and Nyambeni stood outside, trying (unsuccessfully) to open the gate for her. As soon as a Keeper lifted the latch, she toddled out, her nannies scooped her up with trunk hugs and rumbles, and the three set out to the forest with the rest of the herd. 

The elephants spread out to browse. Some ventured far afield into the thick bush, but Talek and blanket-clad Mokogodo stayed close to the Keepers. Looking after Mokogodo was a new role but one that Talek (who is only slightly taller) embraced — she kept touching Mokogodo and encouraging her to stand under her neck.

Shujaa is a hero, especially at milk feeding times! This morning, we sent him down to the mud bath ahead of Pardamat, Latika, Kamili and Kerrio. Even though he is a fast runner, somehow the other four orphans in the first group overtook him on the path and beat him to the line of Keepers waiting with bottles aloft. Shujaa therefore padded in to find no one waiting for him with a bottle. Almost every other member of the herd would have made a fuss, trumpeting or pushing or even charging. But not our hero! This lovely boy stood patiently to one side, awaiting his turn as the others drank their milk

The sun was shining again this morning. Although none of the younger group chose to swim, Taroha, Muridjo, Kamili, Nyambeni and Mzinga enjoyed dusting themselves with the dry red soil, lying on their sides and hosing the earth along their backs. The second group soon took their place. Mukutan massaged his side on the edge of the wallow, Muwingu knelt to rub her head, and Sileita stood splashing in the muddy water while others rolled around on the wet ground next to the wallow – it was a group-mud-and-dust-bath day!

This morning, Mzinga and Muwingu met outside Mokogodo’s stable. The two girls jostled for the best space to greet the little girl, with one pushing and then the other. As Mzinga is smaller than Muwingu, she was at a disadvantage. When a Keeper opened the door, Mokogodo walked out to find two nannies competing over her. She stood quietly while they sorted out their dispute, eventually agreeing to escort the little girl out to the forest together. They set off at a slow pace with Mokogodo sandwiched between them.

Chunky Loldaiga is less keen on milk than many of his peers. Quite often, when we call the orphans for a milk feed, he pauses along the way for another mouthful of browse while his friends thunder past him, trunks aloft in expectation of delicious milk. If he is playing wrestling games with best friends Choka and Mukutan, he is reluctant to break off just for more milk! The other older bulls share this trait but to a lesser extent. This evening, when Loldaiga ambled into this stockade, he chose to scoop up some pellets before accepting his bottle from a Keeper. After drinking almost all of his milk, he turned his attention to the more appealing task of selecting the best branches from the pile of lucerne in his stable.

Shujaa and Kerrio are friends and also playmates. They are often found playing pushing and chasing games in the forest — today was one of those days. Although Kerrio is older than Shujaa, they are well matched in both strength and disposition.  This morning, they rumbled and draped trunks in greeting before settling down to several rounds of good-humoured wrestling.  

Pardamat and Talek are friends, playmates, and rivals! Sleeping in neighbouring stables, the two young elephants do squabble at night-time, pushing at their partition, and trying to pinch each other’s greens. Out in the forest, their disagreements are less frequent—– they play pushing games and like to hang out together. In contrast to Talek, Pardamat rarely behaves himself at milk time, tending to demand an extra bottle, push the wheelbarrow and even nudge those younger than himself from behind. He has picked on little Olomunyak on several occasions and is an elephant who needs a firm hand.

Sileita may be the main matriarch, but she has a string of second in commands. Latika is a lovely nanny with a special soft spot for the new boy, Olomunyak. They often browse together in the forest and she becomes restless when he wanders away to be with the Keepers (as is his habit). On these occasions, Latika looks for him and bursts into rumbles when she finds him!

After behaving perfectly in the forest this morning, Weka led the side down at the mud bath! In the early morning, she browsed close to Olomunyak, touching him frequently and keeping him close. The little boy has captured naughty Weka’s heart and as a result her long-dormant nurturing side has emerged. The pair spend hours browsing head to head. Later in the morning at the mud bath, after another milk feed, Weka wandered along the cordon, as others browsed on greens or dusted themselves. After being friendly to the visitors and allowing some to touch her, she decided that it was time for a pushing game with some human beings. Anticipating her plan, two Keepers whistled her away before she could knock anyone over!

Latika was feeling greedy today. After emptying her bottles during the afternoon feed, she made a beeline for Mzinga, hoping for an extra bottle. Mzinga trumpeted, we intervened, and Latika instead ambled over to the wallow to check on Talek. The little girl was having a wonderful time rolling around on the ground, rumbling as she waved her trunk, while Nyambeni and Sileita stood guard, just in case anyone spoilt her game!

As the orphans were heading home for the night, Mageno spotted five warthogs trotting along the paths between the stockades. Unable to resist the game, he chased the warthogs up and down the paths as the other members of the herd plodded obediently into their rooms.

A friendly little chap, Olomunyak likes spending time with Keepers as well as elephants. Out in the forest, he is often found standing next to a Keeper, occasionally raising his trunk for attention. It was raining this morning and thus the incentive was two-fold! Olomunyak strolled over to greet a Keeper and take advantage of his umbrella! Pardamat was next in line followed closely by Mzinga and soon both stood snuggled up to the Keeper and his umbrella.

At the mud bath later in the morning, as usual, the younger elephants arrived first for their milk feed, emptying their bottles and spreading out around the wallow. This morning, Olomunyak stood next to the cordon, at a distance from the other orphans, unperturbed by the visitors despite his youth. When we whistled to the group that it was time to return to the forest, he was the last to leave. As he toddled along a few metres behind the others, Talek did a U-turn, turning around to see where he was. She found her friend, they trunk touched, rumbled and continued walking along the path together.

As the first group left, the second older group arrived. Kitich and Choka began playing as soon as they had finished their milk. Kitch challenged Choka to a wrestling match, he accepted, and the two bulls pushed heads and clinked tusks. They pushed each other around the wallow, enjoying yet another contest, while the others kept out of their way. Sileita, Muwingu and Kamili instead spent time covering themselves with dry soil.

Taroha ambled down to see Mokogodo soon after dawn this morning. The gentle boy padded into her stable and the two old friends greeted each other with many rumbles. Mini matriarchs Sileita and Kerrio soon arrived and took charge, with one nudging Taroha up the path to the forest as the other waited with Mokogodo. Out in the forest, Taroha spent time with Weka who was at her most nurturing again today. The two browsed together in between lots of affectionate trunk touching with the younger elephant standing so close that he was under her head. Olomunyak was feeling especially playful this morning. After rolling around, he rested on his belly with bent forelegs and rubbed his face on the dry ground.

Later in the morning at the mud bath, Pardamat made the mistake of crossing Kamili, our independent girl who has no interest in looking after babies, especially badly-behaved ones! The little boy dared to take a bite out of a branch she was holding with her trunk. Kamili pushed Pardamat so hard that he rolled over whereupon we intervened to separate the two orphans. Kamili went back to browsing and Pardmat walked away in a sulk.

Back out in the forest, the orphans were in playful moods. Choka, Kitich and Mukutan played the pushing game in one clearing with Latika and Muwingu standing next to them. Mushuru massaged her backside against a tree and then challenged Sileita to a wrestling match. She happily accepted and the two girls clinked tusks and pushed heads.

We opened the doors at first light and the orphans padded out of their room to greet their friends. Sileita and Weka led the herd out to browse in the forest. As they passed Maxwell’s enclosure, Shujaa and Mzinga paused to greet the large rhino, stretching their trunks through the gaps in his gate and draping them on his head. Max stood still for a moment and then trundled back to continue eating pellets with his warthog friends.

Choka, Sholumai and Loldaiga were doing their own thing today. The herd tends to remain together and within sight of the Keepers even though small groups disperse in different directions. Today, the three elephants went far afield on their own, exploring the bush independently but returning in good time for the mid-morning milk feed. Mageno watched them head off but showed no sign of wanting to follow, instead choosing to stay with Muwingu and Kitich.

Budding nanny Nyambeni was having a lovely time looking after Talek and Olomunyak in the forest. She stood contentedly with the two younger orphans, touching them regularly as they browsed. She is almost the same size as her two friends but sometimes behaves as if she is several years older! Not far away, Muwingu and Sileita were playing in a drying out patch of mud. Sileita lay spreadeagled on her belly while Muwingu paddled in the sludge.

Olomunyak is never far from one of his nannies in the forest unless of course he chooses to spend time on his own or with the Keepers. Mini matriarch Sileita keeps a careful eye on him although his favourite nanny is Mushuru. She browses with him on most days, making sure that no one is rough towards him. When she returns to the forest after her mid-morning milk feed (as Mushuru is in the older group and Olomunyak in the younger one), the little boy often runs towards her. Sholumai used to be Olomunyak’s number one nanny but she has had to relinquish this role to maternal Mushuru.

Kerrio was with Nyambeni and Talek this morning. Caring Kerrio stood between the two younger girls for a time before ambling over to spend time with Shujaa. Nyambeni and Talek, who are firm friends, browsed together and then found a patch of mud that was perfect for a roll around. Talek has become more sociable — she was quite reserved when she was a newbie — and also plays with Mzinga and Taroha.

In the afternoon, the older elephants had a wonderful wallow in a pool of thick mud in the forest, sitting in the sludge and clambering all over each other. Sholumai, Kitich and Choka were the first to take the plunge, but they were soon followed by Mukutan, Mageno, Mushuru, Sileita and Weka. The younger orphans stood quietly on the sidelines, not wanting to run the risk of being squashed by one of their older friends!

Raha, who has developed a stout little figure, waddled out to the forest later than the herd but around the same time as Mokogodo. Because the little elephant is still poorly, despite eating and drinking well, she has a lie-in and walks just a short distance from the stockades with her Keeper. Out in the forest, Mokogodo approached Raha and laid her trunk along the rhino’s back – Raha tolerated the attention and then the two browsed within sight of each other. Kerrio ambled over to check on Mokogodo and browsed with her for a time.

Not far away in the forest, Mzinga and Pardamat were playing a sort of pushing game which involved more trunk draping, twisting and rubbing than pushing. Today, Pardamat was playing well with Mzinga, resisting any temptation to be rough or to play mount his friend. Perhaps he knew that Mzinga would not tolerate any nonsense! Just in case back up was required, Kerrio was waiting in the wings.

In the afternoon, the orphans visited the same pool of irresistibly thick mud as yesterday. The sludge is too thick for hosing but perfect for paddling and playing. First in today was Choka who paddled and splashed before resting his forelegs on the edge. He clambered out and Latika, Kitich and Mukutan took his place for a group massage and wallow.

Raha is becoming quite the explorer! She is rarely reluctant to leave her warm dry stable and spends less time suckling her Keeper’s trouser leg. On most days, the stocky little rhino marches up the path and out to the forest. Today, she was pushing small trees and also stones. Then, she playfully pushed her Keeper before running off into a thicket. Her obliging playmate strode after her, finding Raha grazing by herself on some tasty greens. They wandered on together until she found a patch of dry soil and lay down to roll around before standing up to push another tree with her tiny stump of a horn.  

Shujaa, who has sprouted two little tusks, is our current pushing game teacher. Having honed his skills against Kerrio in particular, he is now training three young boys – Olomunyak, Taroha and Pardamat. Today, Olomunyak was trailing along behind him like a doting younger brother out in the forest. They browsed for a time and then Shujaa played a very gentle version of the game with little Olomunyak, much to the latter’s delight! We smiled to see him using so little strength against his small adversary. In recent days, Shujaa has also been hanging out with Taroha and Pardamat, showing them his clever tricks.

In the afternoon, Maxwell was making the most of his muddy enclosure. He lay on his side, rubbed his body and then even rolled onto his back, somehow balancing for a few moments before rolling back onto his belly.

In the forest this morning, quirky Muridjo was looking after Olomunyak. Not only Weka is beginning to show her nurturing side but also Muridjo!  They browsed together for a long time, staying very close to each other, until Shujaa interrupted their peace. He strode over and positioned himself between them, pushing Muridjo as he challenged his agemate to a game. The younger boy stood to one side as Shujaa and Muridjo twirled around and chased each other through the bushes. Weka was next to join the gathering. When she arrived, Shujaa beat a hasty retreat (as he has a healthy respect for the older female), Muridjo stood quietly and Weka whisked Olomunyak away, shepherding him over to another clearing.

Many of the older orphans wandered away to an area with thick green browse. Loldaiga and Mageno browsed in one thicket and Kerrio and Muwingu feasted on some nearby bushes, ending up with their heads covered in creeper as they twisted up clumps of grass. Not far away, Mushuru was with Pardamat and Mukutan, watching over the little boy as he rubbed his face along the ground while entwining trunks and playing with the older one. Mukutan, as the dominant bull, is rarely rough towards the younger members of the herd, especially if one of their nannies is nearby!

When the herd ambled out to the forest this morning, Mzinga hung a left. Rather than browsing in the cool cloudy forest, she darted around the stockades and began foraging for leftover pellets. She walked in and out of several rooms, quickly scooping up a mouthful and then moving on. Missing her friend, Nyambeni then padded back to the stockades to look for Mzinga. She joined in the game and the two girls foraged together, playing hide and seek with the Keepers at the same time. Eventually, they succeeded in shepherding the naughty girls (and their big bellies) out to join the rest of the herd. 

Kerrio and Shujaa were playing together again this morning. Kerrio nudged Shujaa and he pushed back, accepting the invitation. The two friends locked heads and tiny tusks, trumpeting as they pushed against each other.

Visiting the mud bath for a milk feed, the orphans drank down their bottles and spread out around the wallow. No one was keen on swimming and almost everyone opted for a dust bath. Kerrio and Sileita lay down obligingly on the dry earth, inviting Taroha, Olomunyak and Shujaa to rub against them or clamber on top of them. Taroha and Shujaa rested their forelegs on the matriarchs’ bellies as Olomunyak kicked up small clouds of soil. Nyambeni could not resist joining in the game, mounting big sister Kerrio while waving her trunk in excitement. After the game, Nyambeni, Talek and Mzinga stood belly to belly to suck up gouts of soil and hose themselves and each other.

Raha is developing a mind of her own! After drinking her milk in the forest this morning, the little rhino knew that it was time to visit the mud bath. With no prompting from her Keeper, she headed off in the right direction. As she jogged along, she did the occasional little hop to one side and then the other while making a series of squeaking sounds. Arriving at the wallow, she headed straight for the pile of soil where she lay down on her back, belly to the sky and legs aloft while her Keeper shovelled sand over her. She then stood up, covered in dust and charged towards the rope cordon. She plodded along slowly but confidently. After her daily lap of honour, her Keeper had to persuade her to return to the forest so the elephants could take her place as it was time for their next milk feed.

In the afternoon, the orphans found some thick sludge in the forest that was perfect for playing. Mageno and Nyambeni rolled around together in the mud. When Nyambeni walked away to browse, Choka paddled in to join Mageno. The two bulls covered themselves in the sludge as they rubbed against each other, turning themselves into two very large mudballs.

Weka and Muridjo were hanging out in a clearing. They stood together, playing trunk twirling and entwining games, and then lay down to massage themselves against the ground and each other, rumbling occasionally in excitement. Game over, they stood up and carried on browsing.

Kamili loves a good dusting. This morning, finding a suitable patch of loose dry soil, she abandoned browsing, sucking up trunkfuls of soil with which to shower herself. Clouds of dust surrounded the little elephant as she stood happily dusting. Watching on from the sidelines (as she has not yet mastered this skill), Talek ambled up to join her and the two orphans went back to browsing

Pardamat was up to his tricks at the mud wallow this morning. After emptying his bottle, he pestered his friends (who do not drink quite as quickly as he does) and then tried to pinch an extra bottle from the wheelbarrow. When his efforts were not successful, he took out his frustration on Taroha, giving him an unexpected shove, and then running off into the bush (to avoid being disciplined by Sileita or Latika).

In contrast, Shujaa was at his most polite. He padded down the path and stood waiting patiently for his milk, rather than running at one of the Keepers with mouth agape and trunk aloft. A Keeper brought him his bottles, he drank them quietly and walked on to browse on greens.

Raha walked a long distance in the forest in the afternoon, searching for tasty greens. She led her Keeper through the bush and, after filling her belly, stood contentedly in a clearing enjoying a suckle of his trouser leg.

As soon as her door had been opened this morning, Latika walked down to Taroha’s stable. She stood outside, waiting for the young bull to emerge. Moments later, Kerrio arrived, a Keeper opened the gate, and the two girls escorted Taroha out to the forest, sandwiching him between them along the way. The little boy is becoming especially attached to Latika and will sometimes rumble to her from his room in the morning and also while browsing in the forest.

The forest is drying out and there is less grass and low-lying shrubbery for the younger orphans to enjoy. This morning, Talek, Taroha, Pardamat and Olomunyak were standing on tip toes with trunks stretched up high, trying to reach some delicious-looking green leaves on 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. They tucked into their favourite snack with Sileita, Latika and Mushuru continuing to keep an eye on them from a distance.

In the afternoon, Mageno, Muridjo and Weka browsed together in the forest until Weka caught sight of Olomunyak. As soon as she saw him, she walked away from her two friends and began fussing over the little boy, much to his delight.

In the morning, it was Talek’s turn to be greedy at the mud bath. She drank her milk and, rather than moving on to the greens, she made a beeline for the wheelbarrow. Two Keepers whistled her away and she toddled over to join Mzinga, Nyambeni, Shujaa, Muridjo, Taroha, Pardamat and Olomunyak. The babies browsed on greens and then rolled around on the mound of dry earth, playing while they covered themselves in soothing soil.

Choka, Loldaiga, Mageno and Kitich were full of energy on a hot afternoon. After finishing their bottles, they padded over to the mud bath and climbed in to paddle and wallow. They lay down in the thick mud, rubbing their bodies against each other. Loldaiga climbed on top of Mageno while Choka and Kitich twisted their trunks together.

Returning to the forest, Kerrio and Mageno found another patch of irresistibly thick mud. The two friends spent a long time relaxing in the cooling mud. They lay down and pushed against each other while twirling their trunks as the rest of the herd browsed around them. Mukutan, Sholumai and Muwingu wandered further into the forest before ambling back to join the herd just before it was time to return to the stockades.

It was another peaceful morning in the forest. Sileita and Olomunyak browsed together with Kamili, Muwingu, Mushuru and Mzinga close by. Shujaa was playing the pushing game with younger boys Taroha and Pardamat while Talek stayed close to a Keeper. Raha went far afield with her Keeper this morning, lying down on a rocky outcrop for a quick nap before leading her Keeper back to the mud bath.

As usual, the first group of elephants visited the mud bath later in the morning after Raha had left. We split Latika, Kerrio, Shujaa, Muridjo, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Talek, Taroha and Olomunyak into groups of three and sent them down the path to a line of Keepers waiting with bottles held aloft. Today, no one tried to pinch an extra bottle — instead, they walked on to the wallow. Taroha climbed into the water to swim and splash around. When Talek and Pardamat made a move to join him, he would not let them! He trumpeted, stood up and saw them off, behaving as if it was his mud bath. Sweet Talek walked away to enjoy a dust bath instead and even Pardamat decided against a confrontation with a friend in a feisty mood. Minutes later, Kerrio and Latika were paddling in the wallow with Taroha – as he would not dare to stand up to the mini matriarchs.

Mageno has become an explorer. Full of confidence, this growing bull likes leading the herd deep into the forest. On some days, he leads a small group of friends off into the bush; on other days, he heads off on his own. Today, minutes after he ambled away into some thick bush, we heard urgent loud trumpeting. Mageno had walked into two white rhinos, giving them as much of a fright as himself! He twirled around, trumpeted in alarm and ran back to the herd, while the rhinos continued grazing.

On her way out from the stockades this morning, Raha paused at Maxwell’s gate. She stood gazing at the large black rhino — who was grazing on pellets with several warthogs — for a few minutes and then walked on to the forest. Today, she refused to wander far and insisted (for she can be extremely stubborn) on remaining within sight of the stockades. After her mid-morning milk feed, Raha visited the mud bath for her daily lap of honour along the rope cordon and dust bath on her special small mound of soil.

In the afternoon, several of the older elephants wallowed in the mud bath while Mzinga and Kerrio rolled around together on the pile of dry soil. Little Olomunyak sprawled on the platform, posing while lying on his side as Mzinga, Kerrio and Latika looked on.

Choka and Kitich were browsing together in the forest this morning on some stubborn grass (a delicious but hard-earned delicacy the orphans love). Kitich was kneeling so he could use his mouth to pull up the grass, rubbing his trunk along the ground and shaking his head from side to side. After putting in all the effort to uproot the grass, Choka swept in to steal his spoils. Luckily, Kitich is a good sport and just moved on to the next patch.

As it was a cool day, Raha was wearing a double layer of blankets in the early morning. She stayed close to the stockades, walking slowly along behind her Keeper as she searched for tasty greens.

After visiting the mud bath as usual mid-morning, the herd returned to the forest. Muwingu, Sileita, Kitich, Mushuru and Loldaiga stood quietly next to each other on a patch of dry ground, occasionally dusting themselves with the soil. Our babies are growing up: all five elephants (and many others in the herd) now have small stumps of tusks! Loldaiga is growing a sturdy pair of tusks, but Sholumai still has by far the largest ones in the Nursery herd.

In contrast to some days spent with the babies, this morning Sileita was hanging out Choka and Nyambeni in the forest. They were dusting themselves and playing on a patch of dry soil. Choka was rubbing his face on the earth as Nyambeni hosed herself with soil and Sileita lay splayed on her belly. Nyambeni could not resist climbing on top of her older sister but, when Choka followed suit, the mini matriarch stood up, shaking him off. Sholumai led several orphans deep into the forest this morning. Sholumai, Mukutan and Kitich headed off to explore but returned in time for the mid-morning milk feed.

Talek and Olomunyak chose to stay close to the Keepers this morning, extending their trunks in greeting between mouthfuls of browse. Little Mokogodo was also with a Keeper. She stays close to the stockades because she is still poorly. Kerrio browsed close to Muridjo, Talek and Olomunyak but then ambled over to check on little Mokogodo.

In the afternoon at the mud bath, Mzinga wanted to stay with Mushuru rather than the younger members of the herd. She has become very attached to Mushuru and Kerrio and, in recent days, is choosing to browse with them rather than Nyambeni and Muridjo.

This morning at the mud bath, Kitich and Choka were the centre of attention. Kitich trumpeted loudly as he jogged down the path for his bottles, gulped his milk down in seconds and strode over to the wallow. 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 wrestling, twisting their trunks and pushing each other around the mud bath. The game between the two bulls became a serious contest of strength today and so we had to separate them. With stern whistles, we sent them off in opposite directions. Our boys are growing up, but they are still obedient!

Shujaa and Muridjo are agemates and good friends. In the afternoon, they played together at the mud bath. Shujaa rolled around on the mound of soil, lying on his side before flipping over onto his back. Dust bath done, he clambered to his feet as Muridjo approached. They touched trunks in greeting and then began playing the pushing game. The two friends rumbled as they entwined trunks and clinked tiny tusks.

On colder mornings, Maxwell has a lie-in. The blind black rhino has an enormous bed of hay in a sheltered area of his enclosure. Today was one of those days. He lay on his bed until the middle of the morning when he finally lumbered out of his bedroom and around his enclosure. Despite being blind, he negotiates his surroundings with ease, sensing exactly where his mud bath and piles of pellets are. By the afternoon, the sun was shining and he climbed into his small wallow for a cool down before drying himself off with a dust bath.

Out in the forest on a dry morning, Olomunyak browsed contentedly sandwiched between Nyambeni and Sileita. The budding nanny and mini matriarch stood close as they ushered him through the bush. Leaving the two to hang out together, Sileita then ambled over to join Kerrio, Kitich and many others for a dust bath. The three friends stood on a rocky outcrop, kicking up dry soil and splashing their bodies. Sholumai was standing next to Mageno. As he twisted up a large clump of grass and popped it in his mouth, she stretched her trunk in his direction in the hope of pinching a mouthful. Mageno immediately turned his head, denying his friend a share of his spoils!

Raha was at her most stubborn this morning. The little princess stood still in the corner of her room with feet stuck 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 left the obstinate little girl in her room until later in the morning.

Eventually, the small rhino, clad in her blue blanket, plodded out of her room and up the path to the forest. She grazed close to her Keepers this morning, suckling on a trouser leg between mouthfuls of dry grass. Raha seemed tired today. After enjoying her mid-morning milk feed, she lay down on some warm rocks for a nap. When she visited the mud bath, she walked carefully around the cordon but just lay on her side for a dust bath, rather than rolling onto her back.

In the late afternoon, the orphans headed back to the stockades and we ushered them into their rooms for the night. As many stood quietly picking up pieces of lucerne, Mageno stretched his trunk through the gaps in his fence into the water trough outside his room. He sucked up water, slapped his trunk against the edge, splashed and squirted water all over the place, creating a river down the path! Loldaiga, who sleeps in the neighbouring room, was watching his antics as he leant against their shared partition.

In the forest this morning, Olomunyak was in need of comforting! Standing close to two Keepers, he insisted on suckling their fingers. First, he would lift his trunk to one man and, minutes later, he approached the other. Our most-recent rescue is indeed an affectionate boy! Not far away, Mokogodo, wearing two layers of blankets as it was a cold day, was spending time with another Keeper.

Later in the morning at the mud bath, Olomunyak wandered along the rope cordon. As he reached the end, he stretched his trunk into a bag belonging to a guest, exploring its contents! A Keeper whisked him away before he had time to steal anything.

After returning to the dry forest, Mukutan and Mushuru were browsing together with Sholumai nearby. As Mushuru filled her mouth with a large clump of dry grass, Mukutan extended his trunk in her direction, hoping for some extra food. Perhaps he had seen Sholumai do exactly the same thing two days ago. Today, Sileita was looking after little Pardamat, draping her trunk along his back while they browsed.

Talek and Pardamat were squabbling in their neighbouring stockades last night, trying to pinch each other’s greens and trumpeting indignantly several times during the night. Yet, as soon as they emerged from their rooms, they were best friends again, setting out to the forest together and happily playing the pushing game. Talek also had fun this morning chasing warthogs with Nyambeni. The elder girl started the game, but backup arrived minutes later in the form of Talek. The two girls trundled energetically after the nimble pigs.

In the afternoon, the herd had a mud bath session in the forest. Finding a large puddle of thick mud, Kitich was the first to plunge in. He lay on his side and then squatted on his backside. Kerrio, Shujaa, Taroha and Nyambeni soon joined him and the five friends rubbed their bodies against the edge or each other. Nyambeni was the last to clamber out of the sludge. Kamili and Talek watched on from the sidelines – these two girls are not overly fond of swimming, especially on a cloudy afternoon! Meanwhile, Latika and Weka continued browsing nearby, carefully twisting down the softest branches from a tree.

Since being rescued in a terrible state three years ago, Kerrio has recovered and blossomed into a healthy, caring girl and a wonderful mini matriarch. Arriving at the mud bath this morning with the first group of younger orphans, she led the way into the wallow. She paddled around before leaning over the edge with forelegs resting on the ground and bottom in the mud. Shujaa was next in and the two friends wallowed together with trunks waving. They rolled on their backs and splashed mud in every direction. Everyone else in the group – with the exception of Latika and Talek – soon joined them for a group mud bath on a welcome day of sunshine.

Back out in the forest, Kerrio and Mukutan browsed and played together. Kerrio was happy to play pushing and chasing games but drew the line at being mounted by the older bull. When he clambered on top of her, she shoved him off. Later in the morning, she ambled around with old friend Kamili while Mushuru browsed with Pardamat. Mzinga — who is a budding mini matriarch — fussed over Olomunyak and Talek, sticking to them like glue and touching each in turn. Rumbling occasionally as they browsed, the three little elephants then found a large tree stump that was perfect for massaging their sides and bottoms. The month came to a close with an especially peaceful day.