The orphaned elephants:

Right from the start, Korbessa established herself as the queen of Kaluku. All of us — elephant, human, and otherwise — found ourselves under the reign of a tiny, bossy elephant. The past year with Korbessa has been a delight, although it has also been beset with its fair share of challenges. 

Neonates are notoriously difficult to raise, especially those who come from fraught rescue circumstances. As a well victim, Korbessa was already on the back foot. (Prolonged time in water leaves calves susceptible to pneumonia and infection.) When her condition really took a dip, we moved her to the smaller stockade compound near Angela’s house, where she would benefit from a cosseted environment and even closer oversight. 

In the not-too-distant future, Korbessa will return to the main Kaluku compound — but for now, she is thoroughly enjoying her own little fiefdom! She begins her morning with a jog on the sandy beach, before retreating to the shade for a nap, followed by an extended browsing session. Korbessa has always loved greens, and she delights in the bounty to be found on the fringes of the river.

Korbessa does not walk from activity to activity — she sprints at full tilt! She is not the most elegant runner, but what she lacks in grace, she makes up for in enthusiasm. Legs akimbo, ears at full sail, tail straight like a propellor, she dashes to the next destination. Korbessa reaches dizzying speeds when she knows it is bedtime: She adores her bedroom and is constantly trying to sneak back to her stable. 

Meanwhile, Toto, Natibu, and Mwinzi are holding down the fort on the main side. Now that they are two years old (or almost, in Natibu’s case — he is just shy of his second birthday!), the boys are starting to get diligent about dry season browsing. Greenery is increasingly rare around Kaluku, as is typical of this time of year, and they must devote hours of every day in order to find ample browse. Of course, we supplement their diets with milk feeds every three hours and a stable full of branches when they get home.

As a young baby, Toto used to sneak back to the stockades at the midday mud bath. We initially thought this was so he could enjoy a quiet hour with his original Keeper — and while that certainly propelled him, there may be more to the story. You see, Toto hates to get wet. Unfortunately for him, the mud bath is a necessity, as it cools him off and protects his skin from the harsh sun and biting insects. 

Toto is constantly amusing us with his tactics to avoid the mud bath. Some days, he plants himself behind a small bush or water bucket in an attempt to make himself invisible. Other days, he makes a run for it and dashes back to the stockade compound. The irony is that he doesn’t seem to mind the mud bath once he is in it — it’s just the idea of it that sets him off!

Natibu is as assertive as ever. He is not a bully, but he does like to show his dominance. (Ironically he is the youngest of the three boys, and the only one without any tusks! Perhaps he is trying to make up for something.) Toto and Mwinzi refuse to let the young upstart ruffle their feathers. Natibu can headbutt, body block, and push to his heart’s content, but his easy-going friends refuse to engage. Really, it’s a win-win for everyone: Natibu gets to think he is the top bull; Mwinzi and Toto maintain the peace they so enjoy. 

We are still waiting for Natibu’s tusks to emerge. They are very nearly there, but they are taking their sweet time. Like Manda, Natibu has an unusually leggy physique. He is small, but very tall, with long, lean legs that look more giraffe than elephant.

By contrast, Mwinzi is looking more and more like a tortoise! He is not overweight, but he is certainly corpulent. Among all our orphans, he is the most studious when it comes to browsing. This is a day-and-night endeavour: When he returns to his stockade in the evening, he immediately tucks into the bundles of branches waiting for him. Long before the others have even made a dent in their stash, Mwinzi has plucked every leaf and de-barked every twig. However, we must remember that adult elephants eat about 150 kilograms of vegetation in a single day. Mwinzi’s fixation with food simply puts him in good stead for the future! 

Chamboi the orphaned rhino:

Chamboi is now ten months old. He is moving from strength to strength, growing in size, energy, and confidence. We are very thrilled to see the glimmers of a horn starting to emerge. It will be many years until both horns take their full form, but this is an exciting start. He is becoming quite nosey, rubbing his stub into the soft dust and giving his Keepers tiny headbutts.

This month, Chamboi started visiting the big mud bath. This is a special milestone for our chap — a sign that he is growing up and getting ready to take on new routines. Chamboi quickly adopted the mud bath into his repertoire. After his mid-afternoon milk bottle, he flops onto a pile of soft earth while his Keepers shovel goopy mud all over his little body. By the end, Chamboi looks more like a deep sea creature than a rhino! 

Our Keepers are nothing if not punctual. They know that the orphans are excellent time-keepers, and as such, they are never a minute late with their milk feeds. Despite this, Chamboi stages a vocal protest before every meal. He squeaks and squeaks as his bottle is prepared, as if his meal is hours tardy, rather than right on time.

Twiggy the orphaned giraffe:

Twiggy is the first up in the morning. While the orphaned elephants are milling around the stockade compound and Chamboi is still fast asleep, she is already out and about. She usually links up with her little antelope friends, Harvey the duiker or Sala the kudu. From there, she makes her rounds, first saying hello to everyone having breakfast in the canteen before going to inspect the workshop or the vegetable gardens. 

But one appointment cannot be missed: the 11 o’clock mud bath. Twiggy arrives at least 15 minutes before the orphaned elephants make their appearance. She busies herself with browsing while they have their milk bottles and proceed to the mud bath. Twiggy never partakes in wallowing — that isn’t exactly a giraffe’s style — but she clearly likes to be part of the action. 

Twiggy remains as friendly and polite as ever. She is gentle and a great friend to everyone. 

Apollo the orphaned rhino:

It’s hard to believe that Apollo has been at Rhino Base for less than a year (although that anniversary is fast approaching!) — he is so settled in his new home. As they get older, black rhinos become increasingly solitary by nature. Apollo has embraced this new phase with gusto. 

While Apollo remains bonded to his Keepers, Justus and Benjamin, he is happiest in his own company. In the morning, he heads into his browsing grounds. We recently built a shaded platform, so his Keepers can keep a close eye on him while he goes about his day. Apollo usually finds a bush or tree to rest under, but he enjoys the occasional nap beneath the platform, too. It reminds us of his baby days, when he was just a tiny chap sleeping on a mattress beneath his Keeper’s bunk! 

As we noted last month, Apollo operates in his own time zone and refuses to be swayed by any other schedule. Come sundown, his Keepers shepherd him back to his stockade. Sometimes, Apollo complies and follows them home. Other times, he flatly ignores them, acting as if he cannot hear or see them. A rhino whose mind is made up is impossible to convince otherwise! Justus and Benjamin prudently give Apollo his space and allow him to return home at a time that is convenient to him.   

* Apollo is now at Rhino Base, in Tsavo East National Park