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Sonje, along with Quanza, reported earlier than ever before this morning, while it was still very dark and going outside was still not possible for the babies and Keepers. However, Sonje and Quanza continued to wait for the other orphans to come out at their normal time, six o'clock. Sonje kept rubbing her back on the loading bay walls as they waited for the babies. When the Keepers began preparing the bottles for the orphans, Quanza came close to the gate. Finally, the time was right. Amali was the first to come out, followed by Kiasa, and they were greeted by Quanza. Later, Murera arrived with her little baby, and then pellets were distributed, with all five night clubbers now enjoying their pellets.

However, Murera was feeling possessive of her pellets and kept fighting the others when she noticed them moving towards her pile, insisting on eating in her own space without sharing. She pushed back Mwashoti and then chased Quanza away, leaving only Amali with Mwana around her pellets. She didn't want anyone else close, except the two little girls.

When the other babies realised it wasn't necessary to stay around Murera, who was now chasing everybody away, Mwashoti, Kiombo, and Maktao decided to explore new areas for food. Later, Murera felt it wasn't right to be only with the little girls without the others, so she walked out, followed by Mwana and Amali. Kiasa later returned and walked away with Mwana.

Buffaloes invaded the waterhole area; there were four of them, all males. They slept near the dust pile, waiting. When the Keepers first went to check with a milk truck, one old bull refused to get up and run, leaving us wondering what to do when the elephants came for their midday bottles.

As the time approached for the orphans to be ready for their bottles, little Mwana surprised us by raising her tiny ears and getting ready to charge. Unafraid, she started to run after the buffaloes. The buffaloes couldn't believe what they were seeing — a tiny creature chasing after them into the tall grass! Eventually, two of the buffaloes became fearful and both started to run away as Mwana continued to chase them. Amali, along with other nannies including Lima Lima, Kiasa, and Quanza, joined Mwana in chasing out the buffaloes. They took action after realising that the Keepers were too far away and their shouting wasn’t effective.

Meanwhile, Murera watched over the little babies, ensuring her safety with the Keepers. Once the dust bath area was safe again and the buffaloes had gone, all the babies returned. Lima Lima then led everybody back to the dust pile. Mwana directed the nannies to the top of the hills and then watched over them as if she were bigger than them. Amali, feeling jealous, followed Mwana to be with her.

Amali came blowing her little trunk as she tried to trumpet while chasing out many white butterflies that were blocking her way to where Mwana was. Mwana also attempted to join her and trumpet, but she couldn't quite manage it. Instead, she charged forward, but reaching the white butterflies proved difficult. As she lagged behind with a stick, Kiasa saw Mwana fall down and begin rolling in an attempt to get up. The Keepers marvelled at how the elephants valued the little baby, as all the nannies and even the boys rushed to help Mwana up from the tall grass.

Amali left what she was doing to be with Murera and Mwana. Mwana insisted on nursing, and her mother had to agree so that she would feel satisfied and happy. Afterward, Kapei came along. When Mwana noticed him getting too close, she tried to push him away. However, she found she wasn't heavy enough to move Kapei. She then reported this matter to her older ‘sisters,’ who promptly came and drove Kapei away. Mwana and Amali were very pleased to see Kapei being chased off by their older sisters, Kiasa, Enkesha, and Lima Lima, who arrived to help when they heard the baby complaining loudly.

Sonje didn't arrive for her morning check-in at the stockades today. Instead, she and Mwashoti joined the herd later in the morning, after the elephants had already moved to the Umani Hills to browse. As they were grazing, some baboons roved into their area. This caused a big commotion and the noise of trumpeting and charging elephants filled the air as they fled from the baboons. As if that wasn’t enough, they then ran into a buffalo who was attempting to block their path. Maktao and Kiombo worked together to push him away.

At the mud bath, the babies showed no interest in swimming. Amali kept Mwana away from the mud bath area, likely because she tested the water and found it too cold. Murera and the other matriarchs observed, also not tempted to swim.

Later, Amali climbed to the top of a dust hill and looked down at her friends, as if to brag that she was now taller than everyone. Mwana followed her, and soon other older elephants joined them. However, a mishap occurred when Kiombo accidentally stepped on the baby, who made a loud noise. The entire herd chased Kiombo into the bushes.

This morning, there was some in-fighting after the nannies argued over Mwana duties. This led to the group splitting into factions — one led by Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha, and the other led by Lima Lima, who wanted to assert her dominance. Unfortunately for Lima Lima, the larger faction left with Mwana, taking her to where Murera and Mwashoti were browsing at the peak of the Umani Hills. The Keepers were surprised that they reached the peak before speedy Lima Lima arrived.

Mwana made a brief stop to breastfeed when she felt tired and thirsty. Her mother understood her need and allowed her to stop for a drink before they ran over to join Amali and Kiasa at the foot of the hills to find more soft grass.

Jasiri and Faraja returned to the stockades with some wild female friends in tow. It was a big group, but they left immediately after the dependent orphans came out of their stockades. Interestingly, while the wild females chased Sonje away from their babies, they welcomed Lima Lima. Perhaps she is a known friend to them.

Meanwhile, best friends Kiombo and Maktao emerged from the thick bushes. During their pushing match, Kiombo bumped into Quanza. She was clearly angry at first, but Kiombo quickly apologised and explained that it was just an accident. 

Two zebras appeared close to where the orphans were playing and having fun in the tall grass, which is a spot also favoured by zebras. Amali was the first to notice these unique animals covered in striking black and white stripes, and rushed to inform Quanza. Quanza and Lima Lima then gathered a larger group of elephants to investigate, causing the zebras to flee before the elephants could reach them, accompanied by loud braying noises. Their sudden departure scared little Mwana, who had never experienced such noise from zebras before, but her mother remained calm and reassured her.

Meanwhile, Kapei became separated from the group after following the wrong herd of wild elephants. As the orphans scattered and ran, Kapei failed to realise he was with the wrong herd until they abandoned him in the middle of the bushes. Upon realising his mistake, Kapei let out a loud scream. This attracted the attention of Kiombo and Quanza, who came to his aid and guided him back to where the rest of the orphans were resting in the shade.

Sonje was in an odd mood today, one very different from the usual mode that all the Keepers know. She joined the herd with Quanza and Mwashoti, but when the Keepers called out to her, she appeared shy and hesitant to let us get closer. Despite attempts from other head girls like Lima Lima and Quanza to interact with her, she did not welcome their approach. Instead, she moved to be with Murera. Given that Sonje is pregnant, she sought counsel from Murera, comparing notes on how she now feels to what Murera went through during her pregnancy. We concluded that Sonje is doing well, but her moodiness today may be attributed to the changes in her body due to pregnancy.

Rogue elephants intruded into the herd this evening, attempting to disrupt the peace that everyone was enjoying. The Keepers found themselves on high alert as the orphans began to raise their trunks, trying to catch the scent of the wild bull. Similarly, the wild bull was attempting to detect the human smell of the Keepers. The team had to take a roundabout route home in order to avoid any potential confrontation with the elephants. 

This situation caused a delay in returning to the stockades for the evening bottle feeding, as some of the herd had scattered. Sonje, along with other nannies, escorted Murera and her baby. The bull, disappointed and abandoned by the herd, was left alone in the bushes, attempting to track the direction the orphans had gone. 

As the orphans finally made their way back home, Amali and Kiasa arrived late. Murera conducted room inspections to ensure that everyone had safely returned to their rooms after the encounter with the rogue bull.

The elephants had a very good night and were up early this morning, eagerly anticipating their morning treats. Both the nightclubbers and orphans came out from their rooms and rushed to the eating points. However, upon approaching Murera, Amali noticed that she was in a grumpy mood. Murera is always this way when eating pellets; she does not want other babies to eat close to her, because she wants to eat all the pellets herself. Sometimes, she makes a special exception for Amali, but that was not the case today. She chased Amali away and did the same when Mwashoti arrived, keeping the eating area exclusively for herself.

Enkesha and her friend Kiasa had to hide because the situation was becoming tense with Murera's behaviour — she was fighting everyone! However, it soon became amusing to see Murera feeling lonely and sorry for her actions. She ended up seeking out the orphans she had chased away because Mwana had teamed up with all the nannies, leaving Murera alone.

When she approached, most of the dependent orphans fled from Murera, thinking she would still chase after them. However, Sonje talked with her she calmed down. Only Amali was still not ready to associate with Murera.

The morning began with darkness and a cloudy sky. After the elephants were given their morning bottles, Amali rushed to the gate while Kapei was still being fed his bottle. Amali was nervous that the other babies would take all the pellets before she got there. She didn’t have to worry — but then, Kapei, who is known for his greediness, arrived and attempted to push her away. However, Amali stood her ground and pushed back, forcing Kapei to join Kiombo and Maktao in the bushes. No one applauded his behaviour; everyone knows that Amali is gentle and would not push her friends around.

Sonje and Mwashoti finished their pellets and then guided the herd towards the Kenzili area instead of the usual Umani hills. The elephants found plenty of food and greens there. Along the way, they encountered a rock hyrax crossing their path. The elephants were amazed when it just stood there and stared at them, instead of running away. They attempted to chase it, but they couldn't navigate the rocky lava terrain. Sonje and Quanza attempted to scare it away with loud trumpets, but the hyrax remained unfazed, calmly observing the elephants from a distance.

While the elephants were being given their milk bottles, some buffalos approached the mud bath area. Amali spotted them and began chasing them away, with Mwashoti joining in. The buffalos fled as other elephants — even Mwana and Murera — joined in to keep them at bay.

Amali has become a very strong defender of her Keepers, much like Lima Lima. Every time we arrive at the mud bath, four buffalos also show up, and Amali does her best to keep them away from the Keepers' close range. Today, Kiombo followed to provide backup, and little Mwana also joined in to support Amali. Together, they successfully drove all the buffalos away, and the rest of the herd came to support them. The Keepers felt very joyful seeing Amali with Kiombo then Mwana joining to help — in fact, the whole herd was then motivated by the morale that Keepers gave them.

The orphans then left the dust bath area for the bushes, some using it as an excuse to escape the scorching sun after all their hard work chasing away the buffalos. Murera did not join the babies in chasing away the buffalos; instead, she remained calm, trusting that the herd would handle the situation. Lima Lima and Quanza took the lead in keeping the babies safe from any potential buffalo attacks. All the orphans showed so much love and protectiveness towards the Keepers.

Meanwhile, Kapei and his friend Kiombo found themselves in a pushing moment, as Mwashoti observed. However, Mwashoti ended up acting as a boxing trainer for Kapei and Kiombo, because he is older and more experienced and could teach them pushing tactics used by wild elephants.

Sonje joined the herd from the side of Kenze Hills, towards the Umani springs. They came from the back of the stockades and found the other babies still enjoying their morning treats. They were followed by Mwana and her mother, Murera, who wanted to meet Mwashoti and Amali. However, Sonje stood between them, trying to block Mwana from going with her. Despite Murera's efforts to prevent her, Mwana, who was eager to meet Sonje, sneaked under her mother's belly and dodged her. Sonje greeted the baby joyfully, and later, Enkesha took her away towards Amali and Kiasa.

Some buffalos appeared again to join the herd very early in the morning. Lima Lima and Quanza were leading the herd in the direction where the buffalos were lying in the tall grass. When they sensed the elephants approaching, they got up and prepared to hide. However, one larger and older bull buffalo seemed to have hostile intentions towards the orphans and Keepers. He was getting ready to charge at anyone who came too close, but fortunately, the Keepers and orphans were several steps ahead of him. They changed direction towards the Chyulu side for more browsing and playing time.

As they roamed, they stumbled upon some wild elephant dung, and Kiombo attempted to follow their trail. However, when he got too close and encountered one of the wild bulls, the bull came back to investigate who was following them. Kiombo met the giant but did not run away. Instead, he stood strong and was prepared to play with him. However, he soon realised that the wild bull was much larger than him and had longer tusks, making it unwise to attempt to push back against him.

Some wild elephants today arrived with the nightclubbers, demanding more space at the waterhole. However, many of the orphans were not ready to share the same waterhole with them. One old bull seemed friendly, trying to persuade Maktao and Kiombo to join him. The two little boys were hesitant, but eventually, Kiombo was trapped and followed them into the bushes — a decision he later regretted. The males decided to teach him a lesson and treated him harshly.

When Kiombo returned to Sonje, she questioned him about why he decided to follow the bad company and leave his orphan friends. Kiombo tried to explain, but Sonje did not listen and pushed him aside. She was disappointed that he had gone with the wild bulls without realising he was in the wrong company. 

Meanwhile, Kapei and Maktao were playing and enjoying themselves, mounting each other repeatedly. When Kiombo tried to join in by hanging onto Kapei's front legs, Maktao was not ready, causing Kiombo to fall to the ground. Maktao then unintentionally landed on Kiombo, using him as a landing pad. Later, Maktao used Kiombo as a playing toy, rubbing his belly onto him. Kiombo felt the weight of his rival and friend, Maktao, as he struggled to get up from the ground. Poor Kiombo — it was not his day!

Mwana became very playful with little Amali today. She also tried her best with Kapei, who did not know how to play gently with the baby. He pushed Mwana too hard, causing her to bump into a rock. Her loud screams attracted all the head girls, who came to see why the baby was upset. By the time they arrived, Kapei had already gone into hiding, fearing punishment. Kiasa asked him why he pushed the baby, but Kapei was too shy to respond. He walked to his corner and started browsing. When he tried to approach the baby again, he was rejected. Mwana preferred to stay close to her usual nannies and her mother for protection, avoiding Kapei.

Sonje, Quanza, and Mwashoti separated from the herd after wallowing together. They changed their minds just after the mud bath, as the sun turned too hot. The trio walked to a waterhole inside the Kibwezi Forest, a place they knew about. After wallowing, all the babies rested under some trees. Sonje and her friends then moved away to a direction they knew, leaving Murera dusting in the shade. She watched Maktao, Amali, and Enkesha playing with Mwana. Mwana was jumping on top of them as they continued to play in the shade. Sonje and her team moved away to Chyulu, leaving the herd with Lima Lima.

Alamaya appeared with the other ex-orphans, much to our surprise and delight. Just moments before, we were talking about them, and then suddenly, they appeared one after the other. First, we saw Alamaya with his beautiful, huge tusks. Behind him was Faraja, who joined the herd and found Alamaya already dust bathing. Faraja followed him to the dust pile. From the other side of the bushes, Lima Lima and her crew arrived. She was on high alert: Amali and Kiasa were playing nearby, so she thought Mwana had been abandoned by her nannies and needed attention. When Lima Lima went over to Mwana, the baby rushed back to Enkesha and Quanza.

The four buffaloes, which had been camping in the usual mud bath area for about two months, arrived just in time for our midday milk bottle session. They were not willing to give us space, as they know they also have the right to be at the mud bath. 

However, little Kapei and Kiombo were not happy with the buffaloes' presence around the orphans. Kapei started to drive them away, and Kiombo decided to help him. Maktao, Kiombo's best friend, then joined them, which boosted their efforts. This made the whole herd join in, and the four buffaloes were cornered with no space to escape. They all ran away into the bushes. Kiombo and Kapei victoriously returned to the herd, leaving the buffaloes alone.

The beautiful and lovely Faraja showed up very early this morning when no one was expecting him. It was a big surprise to see Faraja back in the herd, as he had been away for some time. He was already at the gate waiting for the orphans while the Keepers were preparing the bottles for the babies. Murera with her baby came out first and greeted him before Enkesha and the others joined them. 

Kapei found himself a trainer in the older Faraja, whom he joined in attempting to push over. However, Kapei was too tiny and couldn't reach Faraja's tusks. He also realised he was too small compared to Faraja's size. Kiombo then came and relieved Kapei, engaging Faraja in a pushback. Kiombo tried hard but found Faraja's tusks too strong to push against. Still, he persisted.

In the afternoon at the waterhole, Kiasa and Enkesha were the first ones to leave the bushes as it was getting too hot. They picked up Mwana and headed to the mud bath. Kiombo and Lima Lima then jumped into the waterhole, followed by the whole herd. When Murera arrived, she found no space for her and decided to wait for the other babies to leave so she could have her own space. Maktao came out last, and then Murera finally jumped into the waterhole and swam alone without any disturbances. Faraja watched from a distance, as the Keepers also helped ensure Murera wasn't disturbed by Faraja and his friends.

Lima Lima, Sonje, Mwashoti, and Quanza didn't arrive this morning but tactically appeared after the midday bottle feeding. They emerged from the bushes, with Lima Lima leading the way. Sonje and Quanza then joined the babies at the dust pile, followed by Mwashoti who arrived a bit later. Lima Lima stopped at the saltlicking point, where she began digging the soil to loosen it and put it into her mouth. However, Murera came and chased her away from the spot. Lima Lima rumbled in complaint but eventually accepted and moved on to join the babies.

Amali came to the spot with Mwana so that Murera could breastfeed her. Since Mwana trusted Amali, she followed her everywhere. After nursing, Kiasa took over and led Mwana to the bushes. There, they encountered two buffalos watching them. Mwana, along with Amali, decided to defend her friends. The two little babies joined forces and chased away the buffalos. Eventually, Kiombo, Kiasa, and Enkesha arrived to help Mwana chase the buffalos into the bushes until they disappeared into the Kibwezi Forest.

Faraja, who had visited for the past few days, did not return today, much to the herd's relief. Murera felt safer without him around, as his playful behaviour with the females disrupted the peaceful coexistence the orphans usually enjoy. She often moved to different locations to avoid him, as she felt uncomfortable when he approached the females. Faraja's habit of pushing females away if he found their scent pleasing further added to Murera's dislike of his presence. Kiasa and other young females also avoided Faraja's company, preferring to keep away with baby Mwana to avoid his advances.

Later in the afternoon, a group of large wild elephants approached the herd from the Chyulu hills area. Keepers were surprised to see a huge bull among them, walking closely to where Lima Lima and Quanza were. Sonje attempted to scent the bull by raising her trunk, but upon detecting his smell, she quickly disappeared in another direction. Only Lima Lima remained with the bull, who eventually found a waterhole to swim in.

Wild elephants arrived in large numbers in the evening, filling the entire forest with their presence and causing other wildlife to flee. As a precaution, the Keepers decided to leave the orphans with their friends to avoid any potential conflict with the wild elephants. However, Murera and her baby Mwana chose to stay with the Keepers for added safety. When the little nannies realised that Mwana had gone home with Murera and the keepers, they became unruly and decided to go find the baby on their own. Kiasa, Enkesha, and Amali trailed their favourite pair, while Lima Lima, Sonje, and Mwashoti kept an eye on Kiombo and Maktao..

Later, in the late midnight hours, the large herd of wild elephants arrived at the stockade water trough and drank all the water. Some of them were heard scratching on the loading bay wall, possibly attempting to communicate with the orphans inside. However, it was too early in the night for the orphans to be outside, so they remained indoors. Maktao and Enkesha were curious and interacted with the wild elephants through the gaps in the wooden walls, smelling each other. Eventually, the wild elephants left, leaving the orphans in peace.

As the heat intensified around noon, the elephants eagerly awaited their midday bottles. However, the babies were hesitant to come out and run to the feeding area until the head girls led them to a nearby waterhole where they could cool off. Kapei was the first to jump into the water with Enkesha, followed by Amali and the others. Murera was the last to join them, and they all swam quickly before heading to the bottle feeding point, feeling refreshed.

Once at the feeding area, Kapei once again showed his eagerness by rushing to be the first to receive his bottle. In the past, this role was held by Lima Lima, but now that she had retired from milk bottles, Kapei has taken over as the primary runner.

After bottle feeding, two buffaloes approached the orphans, attempting to follow them to their resting area. However, when the buffaloes crossed a boundary line, Amali, Kiombo, and Kiasa intervened to stop them. Kiombo stood his ground, supported by Amali and later joined by Kiasa and Mwashoti. Seeing the increasing number of elephants, the buffaloes retreated, allowing the elephants to relax and browse peacefully in the Kibwezi forest.

There was a sudden eruption of loud trumpets among the orphans as they gathered under a large tree, causing everyone to turn and investigate the source of the commotion. Even Amali and little Mwana joined in, responding to the intense trumpeting. As the Keepers approached to see what was happening, they discovered that the uproar was a joyful celebration of Faraja's return to the herd, accompanied by a wild bull friend.

On the other side, hidden behind bushes, stood a large and youthful wild bull who had come along with Faraja to visit the orphans. Despite being shy, the bull was brought into the herd by Faraja to meet his orphan friends. However, upon sensing the presence of humans and orphans, the bull retreated to a separate area, waiting for Faraja who was wallowing at the waterhole.

Maktao and Kiombo attempted to interact with the wild bull, but Maktao was swiftly chased away, leaving Kiombo to face the bull alone. However, even Kiombo was eventually chased off when he tried to get too close and smell the wild bull. Kiasa, accompanied by Kapei, initially followed but abandoned Kapei upon hearing Mwana's distressed cries. Kapei was eventually joined by Maktao and Kiombo, leaving the wild bull to depart with Faraja.

The weather today made the orphans reconsider their mud bath plans. They hesitated, testing the water with their trunks to gauge its temperature. Kiasa and Enkesha brought Mwana to test the water, but even she found it too cold for her liking. Amali attempted to enter the waterhole but later opted to stay outside with Mwana.

Meanwhile, Quanza, Lima Lima, Sonje, and Mwashoti arrived and headed towards the dust pile. Amali and Kapei approached their old friends Mwashoti and Sonje. Ever the rogue, Kapei grabbed Mwashoti's tail. Mwashoti, feeling it was inappropriate, pushed Kapei away, allowing only Amali to join them in walking to the bushes.

There were also wild elephants waiting for Mwashoti, but it seemed he was aware of them and led Amali and Sonje to where a wild bull was resting under the shade, who was seemingly waiting for Mwashoti and his friends.

Today, the orphans emerged from their stockades in the morning, but the nightclubbers were absent. Yesterday evening, only Mwashoti escorted the milk-dependent orphans back home. This morning, it was Murera, the eldest among them, who took charge as they traversed the Kibwezi forest towards Umani Springs and then to the hills. A big commotion was heard nearby, with loud trumpeting and screaming from wild elephants, causing the Keepers to stop and listen attentively. It turned out to be Sonje and her team meeting some ex-orphans and exchanging greetings.

Amali was eager to see these friends, but Maktao and Kiombo held her back. They didn't want her to stray too far from Mwana. Understanding their concern, Amali returned to where Kiasa and Enkesha were playing with Mwana, while Murera kept her distance from the bulls to avoid any confrontation.

As the Keepers climbed up to get a better view, Quanza and Lima Lima returned, signalling that the wild elephants had left. Relieved, the Keepers descended from the trees, and Murera was called by her Keepers to follow as they moved out from the thick bushes into the open fields.

Mwana and Amali followed, blowing their little trumpets and charging at shrubs as they made their way with the Keepers to the waterhole to cool off.

It is mating season in the Chyulu Hills and Kibwezi. As a result, wild elephants have become increasingly vocal, with frequent visits from wild bulls causing some hostility. Today, an exceptionally large bull, unlike any seen before in the area, was observed. His enormous tusks nearly touched the ground, intimidating even Kiombo, who typically interacted with such bulls.

Later in the day, Keepers were astonished to see Lima Lima emerging from the bushes accompanied by this giant bull. They appeared to have a close bond, with Lima Lima acting as his companion. Remarkably, she managed to guide the bull peacefully, a feat even Sonje wouldn't dare to attempt. The duo proceeded to the waterhole, where they enjoyed a refreshing swim together.

After a lengthy wallowing session, the orphans returned for Lima Lima, but she and the bull were still in the water. Eventually, they emerged and decided to head towards Chyulu, with Kiombo, Maktao, and Mwashoti cautiously following the bull. Lima Lima seemed content in his company, although it was not mating season for her, as she is already pregnant.

Amali and Kapei had a disagreement after Amali witnessed Kapei attempting to scare away little Mwana. Mwana tried to defend herself, but she was overpowered by the slightly older bull. She also rumbled in an attempt to warn off Kapei, but before any action could be taken, Kapei had already hidden in the bushes. The arrival of the older elephants, alerted by Mwana's rumble, prompted a search for Kapei, who managed to evade detection.

Meanwhile, some butterflies were fluttering around, providing entertainment for the orphaned elephants. Amali and Kiasa joined forces to try to keep the butterflies away. However, Kiasa stumbled and fell while trying to catch one of the butterflies. The trumpeting from the other elephants grew louder, adding to the commotion. Eventually, all the babies ran back into the bushes, leaving the Keepers behind without notice. Despite attempts to call them back, none of the orphans returned.

There was some rain today, which caught all the orphans off guard. They hurried back to their stockades for shelter. The rain poured down heavily, creating a loud noise on the roof, which startled the elephants. Kapei and Kiombo huddled under the roof, but the thunder and lightning made the situation even more frightening. Mwana, unable to find refuge under her mother's belly, followed her as they sought cover under the roof to avoid getting drenched.

After the rain subsided, some of the elephants returned outside to eat the greens left behind. They weren’t bothered that they were now covered in mud from the rain. Kiombo and Kapei headed to their respective corners to eat, and soon all the orphans were busy eating in their stockades.

Later in the night, hyenas from Umani Springs passed by the fence line, emitting their characteristic loud screams. The sounds worried Mwana and Amali: Mwana hid next to her mother while Amali moved closer to Kapei's stockade. 

It's been quite a long time since Alamaya, Ziwa, and Jasiri visited their friends back at home, but it was a pleasant surprise for the Keepers to see old friends arriving behind the stockade fence. Alamaya arrived with Mwashoti, and shortly after, Ziwa came accompanied by a group of wild friends. However, Ziwa wasn't given much time to spend with the orphans: As usual, the leader of his wild group shuffled him along quickly. We think they get jealous of the obvious bond Ziwa has with his human-orphan family

Murera wasn’t ready for Ziwa to leave, but his wild friend was insistent. Little Kapei went with him — perhaps awestruck by the big bull’s size and tusks. Later, Kiombo volunteered to go on a Kapei rescue mission. He went into the bushes and brought the young bull back to the orphan herd, where Sonje and Lima Lima clustered around him. Amali, who loves welcoming friends, also received him warmly. 

Things went south when a disagreement arose between Maktao and Kiombo over a stick that Kiombo had picked up. Maktao demanded the stick as well, leading to a showdown of strength between the two. The fight was soon stopped by Murera, who gave both boys a stern rebuke.

This morning and just before mud bath, many wild elephants approached the orphans and caught the Keepers off guard. Sweet and protective Lima Lima sprung into action. With the help of Sonje, they surrounded the Keepers and the young orphans, keeping everyone calm and secure. 

By midday, the heat became unbearable, prompting Mwana to seek relief in the large waterhole. Her plunge initiated a herd-wide swimming session, which quickly turned into a lively competition among the orphans. After their mud bath, Mwana was very entertained watching Maktao and Kiombo wrestle on the dust bath.