In the Kibwezi Forest, the Umani orphans and their Keepers were in full celebration for the new year. To mark the holiday, the babies were treated to some special greens and pellets, different from their usual fare. Mwana, the jovial little baby, wanted to taste everything she saw her friends eating. It’s hard to believe that her first birthday is fast approaching!
The orphans and their Keepers were in full celebration for the new year 2024. To mark the holiday, the babies were treated to some special foods, different from the usual fare. They were pellets and fresh, soft greens that the Keepers fetched to give on this happy day. Mwana, the jovial little baby, wanted to taste everything she saw her friends eating. She ate lots of pellets and then boldly pulled soft greens from Amali’s stash. At eating time, no one is very friendly as they compete for food; Mwana was no longer being a friend to her closest friend, Amali. Amali also understood she is the baby among them and kindly left the soft foods to little Mwana. Murera, with other big head girls, left the nannies with the baby as the big girls looked for more food towards Umani hills. Then Kapei and Maktao moved in different directions; being boys, they did not care. Kiombo followed the two boys, but once he saw his closest friend, Sonje, he went to join her instead.
At the waterhole, on this special day, none of the babies wanted to wallow or swim; they found it too cold. After Kiasa and Enkesha took the baby to the water’s edge to test the temperature, they found that it was too cold to get into.
Lima Lima and the other nightclubbers came to visit, but they weren’t with Mwashoti, the only boy who hangs out with the girls. This made us worry, because Mwashoti never leaves those girls. However, two hours later, Mwashoti arrived slowly and alone. He was showing everyone that he is no longer a baby boy and he was on an adventure mission without his officially known friends at home.
He was copying Alamaya, who comes and goes as he pleases. Alamaya disappeared before Christmas, but when the Keepers were walking in the Kibwezi Forest, they spotted him in the company of a wild herd, just like Ziwa. Again like Ziwa, his only disadvantage is that his adopted wild mothers are very possessive and don’t like him to be with his human-orphan family. It will be interesting to see how this works out for Mwashoti, who has always loved to be with Sonje, Lima Lima, Quanza, and especially Murera.
Kiasa and Enkesha took Mwana to an unknown place, and when Mwana realised she was far from her mother, she caused them a big problem by demanding to be taken to her mother to breastfeed. Murera heard the baby screaming and alerted the other nannies to fetch her.
The whole herd then proceeded to the Chyulu area for more browsing. Faraja was spotted with his wild friends, but he never acknowledged greetings from his human-orphan family because he now considers himself one of the Umani old boys. He thought he could brag to his former friends that he is now an old boy, unlike the dependent orphans, who are still young and can’t match him, at least not for many years. When he looked at Kiombo, Maktao, and others, Faraja seemed to feel he was quite superior to them.
Since Lima Lima got mated by her well-groomed boyfriend a few months ago, she has become moody and less friendly towards her Keepers and other elephants. Only Mwana, little Amali, and Murera remain her favourites at the moment. Today, Mwashoti approached her, and a Keeper tried to walk behind her while calling her name, but she ignored everyone until Mwana ran to her with Amali, and then all were welcomed very nicely. However, when a Keeper tried to show her some fresh greens from the acacia, she walked away quickly, ignoring what she was being given.
Lima Lima’s breasts are getting larger, confirming her pregnancy. Her stomach might be a bit larger, but not very noticeably so. Her longtime friends were kept guessing by her mood, which was very unpredictable today. Quanza, Mwashoti, and then Sonje tried to have a chat with her, but she dodged them, appearing to be busy with Amali, Kiasa, Enkesha, and baby Mwana. However, she was simply avoiding them.
Later, the orphans walked over to the Umani hills and then all the way to the Chyulu Game Reserves, following the smell of some wild elephants. They thought the smell could have been from their other orphan friends, but they couldn't trace it to find them. Later, Sonje stopped the move, and the babies sought shade under a big tree because they found it too hot to continue.
Wild elephants emerged and mixed into the bushes with the orphans immediately after the babies reached the hills along the Kenzili area. Then, another wild encounter occurred when four buffaloes appeared on the road, blocking the babies from walking toward their intended destination. Despite the Keepers' attempts to yell and make loud noises, the buffaloes remained unmoved, forcing the Keepers and their elephants to change directions. However, lazy Kiombo and Maktao didn’t want to take a detour. They thought they were big boys and tried to scare the buffaloes. Ultimately, the young boys were defeated and followed the herd, abandoning the path that was full of buffaloes.
Kapei, once again, blindly followed Mwashoti before understanding why all the other orphans were avoiding the path. Despite being herded by Enkesha, he almost fell into the trap set by the buffaloes. Luckily, due to Quanza's intervention, he was rescued just in time.
Sonje and Quanza sought help from Lima Lima and Faraja, who were found browsing toward the bushes where Kiasa and little Amali had gone. Murera went out looking for her little baby to ensure Mwana was not injured by any of the running elephants. She found her by the bushes and moved to shield her, making sure Mwana was safe. Amali followed them closely, leaving Kapei, Maktao, and Kiombo to continue playing and pushing each other before eventually following their friends.
The orphans had a good start to the new day, with the ex-orphans (or "nightclubbers," as we call them) arriving very early, waiting by the gate to receive little Mwana from her mother. Murera might have been tired of her little baby and in need of rest, so both big nannies were ready to take up the care of the baby from Murera. When Murera came out with Mwana, she handed the baby directly to Lima Lima, who was closely followed by Enkesha and Kiasa. Mwashoti moved close to Murera, reminiscing about his earlier days with her when he was a little boy and spoiled by Murera. However, since Murera gave birth to her golden and precious little girl, Mwana, she no longer has much time for the old babies.
When the old girls took the baby to the bushes along the Kenzili area, some followed, including Quanza, who later joined Sonje and their friends. Two male zebras appeared in front of the bushes where Kapei and Maktao had gone to browse, causing them to get scared and turn back running to join their friends. However, the zebras did not follow them; the babies just became fearful of the zebras but were not pursued by them.
During mud bath time, the babies ignored the swimming pool after Kiasa and Quanza tested the water and found it to be cold. This message was relayed to the other babies, and none showed interest in swimming midday. However, later in the evening, as the orphans were returning to their stockades, it was Mwana who led all the babies to wallow in the mud through the water pipelines, which were spilling more water. The elephants had a good swim before walking back home for their evening bottles.
Four Hadada ibis crossed over into the sky, screaming loudly above the orphans. When Kiasa and Amali heard them overhead, the elephants turned and ran to escape from the noise. Before they could realise, the screaming birds flew over their heads to big trees nearby. Amali was also too scared and yelled in fear as she headed deep into the forest to hide herself from the perceived danger, though she wasn't sure what to do next. Sonje and the other older girls didn't panic; they raised their ears to look around, trying to understand what might be happening. Eventually, they calmed down and joined the other babies who had already started moving towards Kenze camp.
While the orphans were on their way to the Kenze baseline, they encountered a huge bull pulling down some strong branches to eat. The little boys, Kiombo, Maktao, and Kapei, tried to join the wild bulls, but they found it difficult to be allowed to eat by them, as they were blocked by their intimidating tusks. The boys turned away and rejoined the orphan herd, leaving the wild bulls to enjoy their branches alone.
Sonje and Murera stopped by the road, waiting for Kapei, who was trying to catch up by screaming so that he could be waited for by the older girls. When he joined them, the patrol resumed towards the Chyulus, as Quanza and Murera had decided to go there for more browsing. They found fresh greens. Some bushbucks crossed their path, but Mwana stood firm with her ears up, looking scared yet blowing her little trumpet to warn them to keep away from her.
A few baboons started fighting in front of the orphans, creating a loud and disruptive noise that angered Alamaya. He sought out other friends to join him in chasing the baboons away from sight, and Mwashoti and Lima Lima joined Alamaya as they ran after the baboons. However, the baboons won the battle by jumping to the top of the trees, preventing Alamaya from following them.
After giving up, Mwashoti and Alamaya turned back and found themselves alone, far away from the other orphans. Murera, watching from afar, slowly approached, sympathising with Mwashoti's struggle to find his way. She walked back so that Mwashoti could see her and come towards her, which he did happily. Later, he settled by Murera, but she was cautious because of little baby Mwana. Murera was always vigilant about boys playing rough and mistreating Mwana, ready to defend her precious baby before any injury occurs.
In the afternoon, as the elephants sensed it was almost time to walk back home in the evening, Sonje, Enkesha, and Kiasa returned the baby to Murera. Before gathering everyone, Kiasa came across a waterhole that looked inviting for swimming. She persuaded the other little babies to join her, including Amali. It was a fun and refreshing time to cool off as the orphans headed back home, being led upfront by Lima Lima and Quanza.
We had a night drama. Kiasa and Kapei started pushing against the walls and making the gates produce noisy sounds. Their intention was to alert the Keepers and have them come out for protection after a leopard passed by the fence line. When they didn't respond, Kiasa and Kapei decided to push the wall, thinking it would prompt the Keepers to come out. We all woke up after hearing the threatening sounds coming from the gates. When we went outside, we found nothing happening, but one Keeper decided to walk around the fence line from inside, and later we were able to spot a leopard on top of the gumtree from the place where Kiasa was pointing to us. When the leopard saw us walking towards it, it got up and walked quickly towards the Umani Springs, clearly not happy with us for disturbing its mission. Kapei and Kiasa then calmed down after they noticed the leopard had gone away, and they both went back to sleep until morning.
In the morning, both the ex-orphans and milk-dependent elephants joined trunks together while the nannies happily took the baby away from her mother. Sonje escorted Mwana to where Enkesha was standing. Four baby warthogs were inside tall grass and took off running when they heard the elephants. Only their long tails were seen hanging above the grass. They stopped at their warthog hole, hiding from the trumpeting elephants.
Alamaya, along with other "nightclubbers," returned with Faraja and Jasiri. Jasiri looked much bigger, and it took the Keepers more time to identify him after being away for so long. Their return today was a big surprise to the Keepers, who were sitting outside the bushes. While Alamaya was easily identified, the next elephant was harder to discern. After a closer look, Jasiri was identified by his light tail hair. When called, Jasiri happily came to his Keepers, while Alamaya and Mwashoti turned to where Kiombo and Maktao were playfully pushing each other. Alamaya and Mwashoti stopped to separate the two boys from fighting. Enkesha stayed away from these boys, watching carefully to ensure they didn't come closer, especially since she and Kiasa were with Mwana, who was distressed by the boys' rough play. Kiombo slipped on the rocky area, causing him to fall down. Maktao took advantage of this and pushed him hard while he was on the ground before running away to seek safety among some female elephants.
Sonje and Quanza arrived at the waterhole ready for their mud bath, only to find five buffaloes sleeping inside the waterhole, unwilling to leave. Sonje retreated to fetch more elephants to help move the buffaloes away. Kiombo and Mwashoti came to provide backup, forcing the buffaloes to leave quickly so the babies could cool off in the waterhole.
Wild elephant bulls met with the orphan herd along the Kenzili area, attempting to assert dominance and separate Lima Lima and Quanza from the herd. However, they found it challenging to move them away, especially with Murera and Mwana nearby. Realising that the Keepers were among the babies, the bulls were deterred by the human scent and decided to leave Lima Lima and Quanza alone with Murera.
Zongoloni tried to convince Kiasa to leave with her, as Kiasa remains a close friend to little Mwana. This was Zongoloni’s clever attempt to kidnap Mwana. However, Murera was wise to her tricks and, with the help of the others, managed to prevent Kiasa from joining Zongoloni. Both Enkesha and Murera reprimanded Kiasa, telling her that it would not be wise to take Mwana from her mother.
The elephants, with the Keepers behind them and one leading in front, arrived for their midday bottles. Today, Kapei, the greedy boy, led the group, followed by Enkesha. Kiombo and Maktao came in the middle, with Murera and her baby bringing up the rear. However, Mwana got lost after becoming confused while chasing butterflies. Despite her efforts, she couldn't catch any butterflies, and in her pursuit, she fell to her knees. Amali rushed back after taking her bottle to bring Mwana to the other babies who were watching and getting ready to go.
After both elephants took their bottles, Kapei and Enkesha moved to the waterhole, setting the pace for swimming. Mwana and Amali became the swimming stars, but Kiasa chose not to swim with Murera. Instead, they both stayed away, browsing on fresh grass, although they kept their eyes on the swimming pool to see the baby having fun.
After the mud bath, Mwashoti, Lima Lima, Quanza, and Sonje arrived, running to where Amali was with the other nannies. Both groups of orphans then enjoyed a dust bath for more dusting and saltlicking. As the temperature rose, Kapei indicated to his friends that it was beginning to burn, and they should seek shade. This information reached the older girls, and shortly after, Enkesha and Sonje picked up the baby and walked into the bushes for more shade, waiting for the hot sun to cool before resuming browsing.
Today, the orphans chose Chyulu Hills as their first stop destination in the morning. None of them wanted to stop and browse alongside the Umani springs, as is usually the norm, because the Umani Springs area was too cold and foggy. This made the older elephants hesitant to stop, especially with Mwana. With Lima Lima leading and Quanza's help, they moved as fast as they could, reaching the Chyulus within a few minutes. They began browsing happily, finding plenty of fresh greens to eat.
Meanwhile, Kapei and Kiombo followed an old path without knowing where it would lead them, only to find it leading to a herd of buffaloes who were still asleep. When the buffaloes detected them and raised their heads, Kapei and Kiombo turned back running and screaming in fear. However, the buffaloes remained lying down, warming their beds without getting up. Sonje received the two boys back into the herd and tried to calm them down. Kapei rushed to hide between the larger elephants to shield himself from any potential threats. Despite his fear, Kapei, known for his greediness and large appetite, found his favourite greens left behind by older elephants and eagerly consumed as much as he could.
Meanwhile, Lima Lima, Quanza, and Sonje left with Kiasa for the waterholes to cool off. Enkesha, who was with Amali a few metres away, did not join them but continued eating, keeping an eye on the babies, Amali and her little sister Mwana. Murera enjoyed her browse away from the baby, knowing that all was well with Mwana and her trusted nannies.
Baboons came out in large numbers, yelling as they moved from the hills down to the lower grounds. The loud and frightening noise scared the orphans, who were already climbing to the top of the hills as they browsed. Some baboons yelled so loudly that it startled the elephants, who were unaware of the commotion. Both orphans turned back in disbelief, running to where they had left their Keepers to seek help. They considered running straight back to the stockades to hide, but luckily, they found Murera with the Keepers. The orphans stopped but still urged the Keepers to run with them. As the Keepers couldn't see well inside the bushes while running towards them, and with the tense atmosphere, fear gripped everyone.
Upon arriving at the stockades with the elephants, we realised that not all the babies were with us. Some elephants were still trumpeting and charging towards the Umani springs. After counting those we had, we discovered that Mwashoti, Kiasa, and Maktao were missing. The Keepers assumed that they were older and capable enough not to be scared and would eventually return.
During the midday bottle feeding, Mwashoti and Alamaya escorted Maktao to get his share, as he didn't want to miss out. However, they opted not to go for the mud bath. Amali and the other little girls jumped into the water, initiating swimming time for everyone. Among the girls, only Murera and Kiasa skipped the mud bath, leaving the little babies to enjoy cooling off in the water.
The heavy rains that had been falling mostly since December are coming to an end. The elephants and other wild animals have plenty of food and greens to celebrate for many months to come. With the weather turning hotter, it became perfect for the babies to swim in their waterholes, which many had not visited in a long time.
When the orphans gathered at the midday bottle feeding point, after finishing their bottles, the next stop was the mud bath. Enkesha and Kiombo led everyone, with little Mwana not spared. She was the one to begin the swimming, and everybody joined her in style. The Keepers watched in wonder as Mwana and Amali went into the depths of the waterhole. Mwana demonstrated a brilliant technique of putting her little trunk into the deepest part of the waterhole and raising it above her head when she needed to breathe, like a snorkel. It was amazing to see how Mwana learned this skill at her young age. She likely learned it from her older friends and nannies, who continuously teach her different techniques.
After they finished swimming, they stopped at the dust pile for salt licks. Mwana, Amali, and Kiasa climbed on top of the dust pile and rubbed their bellies on the dry soil while they waited for the next move to be decided by the older girls. Quanza, Sonje, and Lima Lima were to decide the next direction to go.
Alamaya and Mwashoti remain humble and friendly boys, even after going wild. Many bulls change their relationships with Keepers after going wild, but Alamaya and Mwashoti continue to be exemplary among the Umani babies. Today, Alamaya returned with Mwashoti, walking slowly towards their Keepers with the intention to greet their human families. Alamaya had taken a long break from visiting his human families, so his appearance today was a relief for the Keepers who had been wondering when he would come home. When the Keepers called Alamaya, he allowed them to touch him everywhere, which signalled that he also missed his Keepers. Seeing everyone around calling his name made him feel good.
Mwashoti also became jealous when he saw the Keepers with Alamaya and wanted to be touched around his belly as well. After being touched by the Keepers, both Mwashoti and Alamaya went to where Sonje was with Kiombo, Kapei, and Maktao to play around. They engaged in pushing games, with Maktao attempting to challenge Mwashoti. Maktao thought he could push back Mwashoti, believing that Mwashoti, being his former "trainer," wouldn't push him back. This perception led Maktao to believe that he had defeated Mwashoti and encouraged him to challenge Alamaya. However, Maktao soon realised that Alamaya was much tougher and wouldn’t entertain him in any way.
As Sonje and Amali were browsing inside the thick forest, some bushbucks suddenly came running towards them. Amali, engrossed in feeding, was taken by surprise when one of the bushbucks, being chased by a male friend, abruptly stopped in front of her. Startled, Amali screamed and rushed to where Sonje was for help. Sonje put her trunk over Amali to calm her down and understand why she was running and screaming. Kapei followed them, concerned for his friend and wanting to know what was happening.
Meanwhile, Mwashoti heard the loud trumpet from where he was on top of the hills. Although he intended to go to where Amali and Sonje were, he halted his journey when he stumbled upon his friend Murera and Kiombo rubbing their bellies on rocky stones. This sight intrigued Mwashoti, causing him to pause and abandon his initial mission.
Today, the elephants emerged from the night stockades with joy, trumpeting loudly as they began the new day. At the gate, Enkesha and Kiasa awaited the arrival of Mwana and Murera. Murera, feeling tired from caring for her baby overnight, decided to hand her over to the nannies for a break. Enkesha and Kiasa eagerly waited at the gate for Mwana's arrival. Outside the gate, Lima Lima, Sonje, and Quanza also waited for the baby, each nanny vying to have her their way.
Meanwhile, Jasiri appeared with his friend Ziwa, but instead of going to where Mwana was with Lima Lima, Jasiri and Ziwa changed direction. They followed a path leading to a wild herd atop the hills along the Kenzili area, avoiding the orphans' herd once again.
Many butterflies were fluttering around the area near the mud bath. The young elephants, especially Amali and Mwana, couldn't resist chasing after them every time they appeared. However, despite their efforts, the slippery butterflies always managed to evade capture, leaving the little girls frustrated and unable to catch them. Amali, in her frustration, began trumpeting and charging into the bushes, drawing the attention of Kiasa and the other nannies. They rushed to where the two babies were, concerned that they might get lost or mixed up with other wild-born babies. Amali then guided Mwana back to her mother, who was approaching Lima Lima and Quanza.
Upon reuniting with her mother, little Mwana eagerly sought to nurse, but Murera kicked her away after she pulled too hard on her breast, causing her pain. Seeing this, Murera decided to avoid breastfeeding altogether and encouraged Mwana to browse on the soft grass instead. With Mwana now having more teeth and able to browse, Murera preferred this option to prevent any further discomfort or injury from breastfeeding.
Today, the Kibwezi Forest was bustling with activity as many elephants trumpeted in all directions and charged around, making it difficult for the Keepers to navigate freely with the orphans in the thickets. Since the heavy rain had stopped, numerous wild elephants, buffaloes, and other wildlife had come dangerously close to where the Keepers and their charges were browsing. Amidst this, some wild elephants even joined the orphans.
Lima Lima, Sonje, and Mwashoti emerged from behind the Keepers and approached the area where they were with the little nannies. Lima Lima, as usual, proved to be a vigilant protector, alerting the Keepers to the presence of a visitor – a huge bull with exceptionally long tusks – who was just a short distance away. Upon spotting the bull, the Keepers quickly stood up and moved away, leaving Lima Lima to confront the bull and keep him occupied, ensuring the safety of her human companions.
After the bull eventually walked away, Lima Lima followed her Keepers to ensure they were out of harm's way. The Keepers were immensely grateful for Lima Lima's courage and quick thinking, and they congratulated her for her bravery in protecting them from potential danger.
The Kibwezi forest has become a home for many wild animals, being a protected area that attracts many wild elephants and other creatures. Every day, these animals enjoy the freedom of movement without the threat to their lives. Today, orphans were seen alongside wild elephants and buffaloes, browsing and grazing together like one family that belongs to one protected area for both animals and birds.
Near the Umani Springs, two klipspringers made their way to drink from the springs but remained cautious upon hearing the elephants approaching. Sensing potential danger, they swiftly disappeared to safety. Some of the orphans, including Kiombo, blew their trumpets and charged around the bushes, which kept other antelopes and a few monkeys at bay. Amali and Kapei joined in the effort to chase away the monkeys, with little Mwana attempting to contribute by blowing her trunk for loud noises. Despite her efforts, the tiny Mwana struggled to make enough noise to scare the monkeys away. Seeing her struggle, the older elephants, including the head girls, rallied to help chase the monkeys away.
As the orphans prepared for a swim in the waterhole, buffaloes attempted to block their path. Mwana, feeling annoyed by the delay, attempted to chase them away. Seeing Mwana's bravery, Sonje and the other nannies joined in to give her more power. Together, they managed to drive four buffaloes out of sight, allowing the orphans to return to the swimming pool. The Keepers marvelled at Mwana's courage and strength in keeping the much larger buffaloes away.
The elephants were very happy and jovial as they came out, ready for the new day. Today, the nightclubbers were already waiting by the gate for the orphans to come out so they could begin the day together. Sonje and Quanza went to the scratching wall, while Amali and Kiasa came out facing them. Sonje and Quanza continued to scratch.
Enkesha began to trumpet, signalling to her friends where the "enemy" was. Kiasa joined her, along with Lima Lima, who was curious about Enkesha's actions. Upon searching the bushes, they found male monkeys and baboons in the trees. Lima Lima charged at the baboons, not wanting them around the herd. Many other elephants joined Lima Lima and her friends in chasing the baboons away, forcing them to climb higher into the trees to hide from the charging elephants. The air was filled with the sound of trumpeting elephants.
At midday, after all the elephants had finished their bottle feeding, the Keepers saw Faraja coming to join the herd from a far end. At first, they were unsure of who was approaching, but upon closer inspection, they realised it was Faraja. Faraja had been away from the herd for a long time, but today he decided to return home. He walked straight to the two girls he trusted, Sonje and Lima Lima, knowing that Lima Lima was very good at welcoming friends and would update him on everything that had happened while he was away. The Keepers patted him in greeting, relieved to see him after such a long time. Only Murera stayed away from Faraja, wary of Mwana’s safety around the big bull.
Kiasa got very confused and started following a truck that was passing by the road. She began running behind it, thinking it was the elephant milk truck. Her intuition was correct, but it was not yet time for the bottle feed. The truck was just transporting some people before making the trip over with the orphans’ bottles. Kiasa and some of her friends have become familiar with the vehicle and its colour. Whenever they spot it, they know it is their milk truck and chase it down the road.
The orphans then moved to Kenzili for more browsing time, where they found lots of greens. Some wild elephants also joined them from the Chyulu side. The group included two wild bulls, who were very friendly and decided to browse nearby, without pushing or charging at anyone. Murera kept herself away from any potential trouble, being smart enough to avoid it before it reached her.
A wild female calf was with the bulls. When she came into the herd and faced Quanza and Kiasa, neither of them showed interest in her. She walked away after not being welcomed into the herd by the little orphans. The little girls were jealous and did not want her to join the herd, knowing she might take Mwana away from them. They were protecting this idea by not welcoming her.
Alamaya appeared this morning from the thickets alone, walking towards where Murera and Sonje were having a discussion. Murera saw Alamaya approaching and sent Sonje to stop him so they could finish their discussion.
Kapei tried to approach Alamaya, but Alamaya ignored him, forcing Kapei to seek attention elsewhere. Kapei then went to Kiombo, who allowed him to play around by going down on his knees to let Kapei mount his back. However, Kiombo eventually pulled Kapei off his back, feeling that Kapei was too heavy. This action led Kapei to lose trust in Kiombo. He attempted to form new friendships with Maktao and other girls, but he was unsuccessful this time. Maktao warned him and when Kapei didn't listen, Maktao pushed him away with his tusks, leaving Kapei in a bad situation while the other girls watched helplessly.
Quanza and her friend Lima Lima were unusually quiet today, indicating that something was different. When they joined the herd and Kapei moved to greet them, they showed no interest in reciprocating the greeting. It seemed that last night wasn't good for Lima Lima, who was unusually moody. This was uncharacteristic of Lima Lima, who was always a happy girl. Today, however, she seemed uninterested in playing with the other babies, and both she and Quanza kept to themselves.
The orphans later moved to join Sonje, who was leading everyone to Chyulu for more browsing. Murera and the other little head girls also agreed to go to Chyulu for more greens. Enkesha and Kiasa, feeling hot, sought out shady trees to cool off from the scorching sun. Meanwhile, Amali was not content to stay in the shade and instead attempted to find water holes around Chyulu, leading the other orphans to follow her in her exploration.
Faraja and Mwashoti arrived late this morning after the other orphans had already left for the springs. Mwashoti emerged from the thick bushes first, followed by Faraja, who appeared after some movement in the bushes signalled his approach. Enkesha, upon seeing the movement, went towards it and encountered some baboons, which she chased away before Faraja appeared. Mwashoti went to greet him before the other babies welcomed him with rumbling sounds, asking him why he was late and where he had been for so long.
Again, Lima Lima and Quanza were in a moody state and did not join the herd. They kept to themselves and were not as friendly towards the other babies. When Amali attempted to seek refuge near Murera, she was stopped from getting too close. Amali accepted this and moved away, as Murera didn't want her to approach the baby. Although Mwana showed interest in going with Amali, her mother prevented her from doing so by standing close to her and offering her a chance to breastfeed.
Today, Mwana displayed her strength by chasing everything that came her way. When a Keeper attempted to walk over to take some photos, Mwana charged and blew a little trumpet, disrupting the Keeper's plan. The Keeper decided to retreat back into the herd, leaving Mwana to play on the dust pile. She climbed to the top and looked down, feeling like a big girl.
Kapei joined Mwana on top of the dust pile, but when he went down to sleep, he accidentally lay atop Mwana's tiny feet, causing her discomfort. Mwana screamed loudly for her mother, prompting the entire herd to rush over to see what was wrong. When Kapei heard Mwana's cries, he ran away to avoid being disciplined by the nannies.
Meanwhile, Kiasa moved to the scratching post to scratch her cheek, and Lima Lima focused on cleaning her toes on sharp rocks. She did this every time she came across a small rock, almost treating it like her personal pedicure place. While the other babies didn't pay much attention to cleaning their toes, Lima Lima always takes the time to trim and clean hers. Later, she followed the herd to the mudbath, where she enjoyed swimming in the water.
Enkesha intervened when she noticed Kiombo attempting to mount little Mwana, determining it to be inappropriate behaviour. She swiftly took Mwana away from Kiombo and returned her to her mother, Murera. Kiombo attempted to follow Enkesha and even pulled her tail to stop her, but Enkesha remained firm and led Mwana back to safety inside the bushes, where she could be breastfed.
Meanwhile, Sonje and Lima Lima arrived at the dust pile for a dust bath, only to find Mwashoti already there, relaxing on top of the hill. Sonje decided not to disturb him and allowed him to enjoy his relaxation time undisturbed. Lima Lima joined Mwashoti on the pile, but their peace was interrupted when Quanza and Kiasa arrived, chasing away butterflies. Startled, Mwashoti and Lima Lima fled from the dust pile, following Quanza and Kiasa into the Kibwezi Forest.
Today, the orphaned elephants emerged from the stockades looking subdued and calm. The weather was also unfavourable, with cloudy skies and cold temperatures, which discouraged the orphans from engaging in their usual playful activities.
Kiombo initiated his morning pushing play with Maktao, a favourite activity of theirs. Although Maktao initially resisted, he eventually joined in after Kiombo persisted. Their play-fighting continued until they reached the Umani hills, where Lima Lima intervened. Recognizing that the play was escalating into a potential fight, Lima Lima intervened. She made sure that she stayed in between them as a way of keeping the peace and stopping them from close contact.
Right after the midday bottle feeding, a large bull visited the orphans. Kapei and Kiombo accompanied the bull, who we suspect to be a friend of the nightclubbers’. He was only interested in being with Sonje, but when he approached her, she avoided him. The bull realised he was not welcome and left, as the other orphans also avoided him.
Later, Kiasa encountered the bull while returning to the Chyulu hills. She escorted him a short distance before leaving him and returning to where Quanza and Enkesha were feeding on tall branches. As the sun became too hot, the babies sought shade under large trees. Eventually, Mwashoti led them to a waterhole, where they enjoyed a refreshing swim to cool off from the heat.
For the past two days, a wild herd of elephants with many babies had been courting Enkesha intensely, trying to entice her to join their herd. Enkesha was interested in playing with the wild babies and to leave little Mwana and sneak into the wild herd. This left her Keepers and the rest of the orphans worried and searching for her. Despite efforts to call her back, Enkesha did not return, and the Keepers had to return home without her.
The next morning, Mwana played only with Kiasa and Amali, missing Enkesha's presence. The Keepers, along with rangers, patrolled the area, hoping to find Enkesha. They heard an elephant yelling and suspected it was Enkesha trying to find her way back. When Enkesha saw their vehicle passing by the forest road, she ran towards it. Fortunately, she responded to her Keepers' calls and followed them back to the orphan herd. She was joyfully received by all the girls, who had missed her greatly. They made lots of noise, as if they were asking her questions of where she was last night.