It all started when Vaarti engaged Milo, ex-orphan Melia’s baby, in a pushing game. When Milo realised the match was not going in his favour, he surrendered and began to retreat. But much to our surprise, Vaarti followed him, grabbed his tail, and bit it! Milo screamed for help, which sent his mother running over. Prudently, Vaarti made himself scarce when he saw Melia approaching.

The next day, Vaarti chose a more suitable adversary. Partnered with his best friend, Mayan, he went after two tiny dik diks who were just minding their own business. They trumpeted and crashed around, but the tiny antelopes easily disappeared, leaving the bulls charging into empty bushes.  

Elephants sleep the least of any mammal. This is especially true for adult females, who put the security of the herd before their own rest. Thus, it is always very special when ex-orphans and wild elephants join us for a slumber party. Early one morning, the Keepers found a one-tusked wild elephant, her baby, and Kitirua sleeping peacefully just outside the stockades. They clearly feel very safe and relaxed at Ithumba.

Among our dependent girls vying to become a nanny, Naleku is the keenest. Whenever ex-orphans appear, she relentlessly attempts to look after their babies. One day, she went head-to-head with Kindani, competing to see who could best care for Tumaren’s baby, Tembo. Much to their disappointment, Tembo proved difficult to handle and kept pushing them away. Tiring of the competing nannies, Tembo went over to Kinyei instead.

We were thrilled to find Enkikwe and Ambo waiting outside the stockades one morning. They had arrived before dawn, but they clearly remembered the routine. The two boys relaxed and waited patiently for the orphans’ wake-up time at six o’clock. Then, the dependent herd was let out and everyone shared the lucerne together. A few hours later, we were joined by more junior ex-orphan: Sana Sana, Sapalan, and Naboishu browsed with the orphans until five o'clock in the evening, and then, remembering the routine, escorted them back to the stockades for bed.

Mukkoka is beginning to experiment with his independence. When it was time to return to the stockades one night, Mukkoka peeled off with some ex-orphans and refused to join the dependent herd. Accepting that he needed to feel independent, the Keepers left him with his friends. Later that night, the ex-orphans delivered Mukkoka to the stockades. As we are reminded time and again, reintegration is a very gradual journey.

Larro also seems to be considering a wild life. One evening, she dodged the Keepers to join the ex-orphans who were rumbling a distance away. A few hours later, she reported back in the company of her ex-orphan friends, many of whom had not visited the stockade compound for nearly a month, including Wendi, Galana, and their daughters. 

Kuishi remains besotted with her ‘little brother,’ Esoit. Whenever he gets into a scrap, she is there in a flash. Kuishi had some drama of her own this month, when she got into a disagreement Galana’s eldest daughter, Gawa. Both girls are eight years old, but the wild-born babies often have a competitive advantage, because they know their mothers will back them up. Kuishi evened the playing field by standing on the edge of the water trough, making herself appear taller. Intimidated, Gawa walked away, leaving Kuishi feeling victorious. 

Girls are made differently — just compare nurturing Galana to naughty Wendi! This is true among our dependent orphans, too. We were reminded of this one afternoon, when Loijuk’s youngest, Lisha, had the audacity to charge at Kinyei and Kindani. The girls opted not to react and just peacefully left the scene. Lisha, wanting attention, set her sights on Suguroi instead. But she picked the wrong adversary! Suguroi does not suffer fools gladly. She whipped Lisha with her trunk and then walked away, without the slightest sliver of remorse. 

Kibo — Wendi’s bull equivalent — was a mainstay this month. Truth be told, the Keepers wouldn’t have minded seeing a bit less of him: Like Wendi, Kibo is a harbinger of chaos. In fact, we witnessed an interesting moment when the pair met. There was a fight of supremacy as both rascals tried to outdo the other. As their fight escalated, the wild-born babies ran away, followed by their nannies. The Keepers calmed everyone down by calling their orphans by name, while Wendi and Kibo worked things out amongst themselves. 

Our new kids, Vaarti and Mayan, continue to impress us. They want to be friends with everyone, even wild bulls who are given a wide berth by most orphans their age. One morning, the boys joined a large bull at the water trough. Mayan quit the scene when he saw more bulls approaching from the east, but Vaarti was brave enough to meet the newcomers.

Among our dependent orphans, Lodo, Roho, Esoit, Bondeni, Mayan, and Vaarti have formed a junior boys’ club. When they are not dutifully browsing, they can be found entangled in energetic sparring matches. But the original club remains: Our ‘Kaluku trio’ — Kindani, Bondeni, and Kinyei — are still the best of friends. They often split off from the main herd to enjoy private browsing sessions.

The dry season is beginning to bite in Tsavo. We had lots of ex-orphan visitors this month, including Kilaguni, who was last seen in October of last year. At the end of the month, 132 wild elephants and ex-orphans visited the stockades to drink water. It was quite a sight to behold — and a reminder that Ithumba is such an important water source for the elephants of northern Tsavo.