Keepers' Diaries, February 2009

Voi Reintegration Unit

Emily, her baby “Eve” and all the attendant orphans of her unit were spotted by the Keepers on the 15th and 16th just behind Mazinga Hill, a few un-seasonal rain showers having brought up a flush of green vegetation. With Emily’s group was a wild teenaged bull the size of Uaso, who was obviously accepted as part of the family, for Emily and her entourage were perfectly at ease with him. This included the two largest male members of her unit, namely Laikipia (who did a “victory mount” on the cheeky wild female who was too attentive to baby “Eve” last month) and Salama, both now 10 years of age. As the Keepers approached the group, the wild bull became a little anxious, but took his cue from the calmness of the orphans, making no aggressive moves. Later Emily and her entourage went to drink at the Voi Safari Lodge waterhole, where they mingled in amongst many herds of wild elephants doing the same and later they were spotted in the Mombasa pipeline area, still with the same wild bull friend, plus another male newcomer of the same age, who was being tested by Laikipia and Salama in pushing bouts.