He made a misstep when he started trying to wrest Amali’s bottle from her. Maktao, who is a polite older bull, could not stand for this behaviour. He chased Kapei away, driving him far into the forest, while the youngster screamed loudly in protest. The girls knew that Kapei was in the wrong and did not intervene. Only afterwards did Sonje walk over to chat with Kapei, clearly feeling that greedy boys still deserve to be comforted.

Kapei may be the herd’s annoying little brother, but they will always protect him. We were reminded of this one afternoon, when Alamaya found Kapei lagging and jumped onto his back. Hearing Kapei yell, the older girls were there in a flash. They surrounded the young bull, pushing Alamaya away and warning him not to bother Kapei again.

Small-but-mighty Mwana continues to impress us with her quick wits and intelligence. Early one morning, when it was still mostly dark, the Keepers led the orphans out for their pellets. Mwana began to complain loudly, rumbling and yelling. Kiasa and the Keepers went to investigate, only to find that Mwana was trying to inform them of a potential danger: A wild bull was approaching, and she was signalling for everyone to be alert.

On 6th July, our largely independent orphans — Ziwa, Faraja, and Jasiri — visited the stockades after many weeks away. Jasiri arrived first, looking enormous and nearly unrecognisable. The Keepers called out to him, and Jasiri responded warmly. Even though he is becoming an impressive bull, he still loves his human family. 

Our boys and girls handle responsibilities differently. Case in point: One morning, close to feeding time, Kapei and Maktao were dawdling with some wild bulls. Diligent Lima Lima went back to collect them. She no longer drinks milk herself, but she did not want the boys to miss their bottles. By contrast, another day, Jasiri led Maktao and Kiombo on a mid-morning adventure. Jasisi, like Lima Lima, gave up milk years ago. As a result, he did not make a plan to bring the boys back for their bottles. No milk for Maktao and Kiombo that morning! 

Alamaya is an adventurer. He likes befriending older wild elephants and often introduces them to the orphan herd. One day, he and his new friends were feasting upon a big acacia branch. The orphans, who are much smaller, were boxed out of that feast — that is, until matriarch Sonje stepped in. She pushed the bigger elephants away so Amali, Kapei, and Mwana could have space to enjoy the food. 

But the drama over the branch continued. Alamaya and Mwashoti were upset to be denied the sweet branch and pushed Kiombo, Maktao, and Quanza out of the way. Quanza could not stand for this and reported their actions to Murera. Murera slowly walked over and, finding Quanza’s reports to be true, showed her leadership by banishing Alamaya and Mwashoti from the scene.

Everyone respects Murera and looks out for her. In the morning, our stockade-dependent girls — Enkesha, Amali, and Kiasa — immediately go to relieve Murera of her baby, knowing she must be tired from a night of nursing. This usually leads to a little turf war, as everyone wants to be Mwana’s main nanny. Kiasa and Enkesha have the advantage of age and respect over Amali, but Amali will always be Mwana’s favourite ‘sister.’

This was a special month for our junior boys, Maktao and Kiombo. The pair are starting to explore their independence, beginning with the occasional night away from the stockades. They always report back to the stockades first thing in the morning, clearly missing their milk. One day, after getting his breakfast bottle, Kiombo lingered with his mouth open, as if expecting to get the dinner bottle he had missed the night prior! The Keepers explained that he and Maktao had missed their opportunity for last night’s dinner and shepherded him into the forest. 

Lima Lima is so clever. One day, the baboons were feasting upon acacia pods, while bushbucks waited below the branches for any leftovers. The orphans admired this technique and duly took up position beneath the trees. Lima Lima, always ingenious, decided to take matters into her own trunk. She reached high and shook the branches, causing a storm of acacia pods to drop down for Enkesha and her friends.

Mwana, who is now 16 months old, has been learning some difficult lessons. For a long time, she enjoyed nursing from not only her mother, Murera, but also her pregnant nannies, Sonje, Lima Lima, and Zongoloni. Lima Lima was her favourite wet nurse — but with her due date approaching, she no longer allows Mwana to breastfeed on-demand. This is a necessary lesson: Lima Lima must have enough milk for her own baby, when the time comes. Besides, Mwana gets more than enough nutrients from Murera’s milk and all the greens she now eats. 

Our Umani family gets along remarkably well, but sometimes little skirmishes break out. Such was the case one morning, when the dust bath turned into a battleground. Alamaya climbed up first and started applying dust on his face. He was followed by Enkesha, Kapei, and Amali, who like to drape their round tummies over the top of the hill. Coveting Enkesha’s place at the summit, Kiombo rushed over and tried push her down the hill. Enkesha flatly refused to move, while her deputy, Kapei, defended their position by back-kicking Kapei. Even Maktao came to assist, raising his ears as a warning to Kiombo. Realising he was outnumbered, Kiombo retreated to the bushes.

Fittingly, the month ended as it began. Kapei led the orphans to their milk feed with great energy, reminding us of Lima Lima back in the day. After finishing both his bottles, he raised his head and opened his mouth wide, as if the Keepers might forget they had already fed him!