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Today, Kiasa seemed very moody and not in her usual high spirits. Normally, Kiasa is very active and strong, especially when it comes to midday bottles or returning home from the fields in the evening. However, today she did not come running, but walked instead. She escorted Mwana into the compound and then left her with Amali, while she went right to bed. The keepers, knowing Kiasa as well as they do, observed that she did not have any visible reason for her change in mood and decided to let her be, understanding that everyone has their off days.

After Kiasa got to her room, she noticed Kiombo pulling some greens from her room to his. She immediately took action, defending her greens and moving them to a far corner where she believed Kiombo couldn't reach. This was to ensure that everyone had their own food without taking from their neighbours. Kiombo accepted, returning to his side to maintain peace.

Meanwhile, Sonje, Mwashoti, and Lima Lima stood by the fenceline, raising their trunks towards the pellets and milk stores, signalling to the keepers that they were asking for pellets since they knew milk bottles were not an option at that time. As a treat, the keepers decided to give the night clubbers some pellets. When they heard the wheelbarrow being pushed towards them, both head girls, Sonje and Lima Lima, collectively approached the fence, waiting for the pellets. Some of the wild herd, who were with Alamaya, also arrived to join in, and they all ate pellets together.

It all began as a very good day with the hadada ibis making morning noises. The elephants were up and ready to go. Amali welcomed her adopted little sister, Mwana, to the pellets, but Mwana was not in a good mood. Instead of following Amali, Mwana walked to Sonje and used more of her energy to try and nurse from Lima Lima rather than Sonje. Kapei and Maktao were busy pushing each other, testing their strength before it was time to head to the hills.

Zongoloni and Enkesha moved to the dust mound for their morning dusting while on their way towards the springs. Some male bushbucks found themselves in trouble when one ended up near Mwashoti and Alamaya. The elephants took this opportunity to play around, with Mwashoti pushing the bushbuck deeper into the Kibwezi Forest to keep them from coming near the orphans again. Mwashoti drew an invisible line, warning the bushbucks should not step around where the orphans were.

Charging and trumpeting, Alamaya and Mwashoti were busy advertising their presence in the bushes. Once they had secured the area, they returned to the herd, where all the head girls were waiting for them. Together, they moved to another safe place with more food.

Umani stockades is beginning to experience more wildlife roaming around the orphans and behind the stockades, where they know they can find some lucerne. Although the Chyulu Hills are beginning to dry, it isn’t very dry yet. When the wild herd arrived, those receiving them were Maktao and Lima Lima. Lima Lima wanted to show and teach Maktao what to expect when they eventually leave the orphan herd. However, Maktao seemed very shy to join the wild families, as some of them have very long tusks that intimidate him. He is used to playing with Alamaya or Mwashoti, but today was different. Maktao avoided going close to the wild herd, who were now under resting under some shade. In the end, Lima Lima and Zongoloni moved over to Maktao and brought him back to the orphans. Meanwhile, Murera and her baby kept themselves far away from the wild herd, as Murera always avoids any potentially boisterous encounters.

Later, the orphans found themselves in very green bushes along the Kenzili area. The keepers noticed all the elephants had their trunks up, signalling the presence of wild animals. Lima Lima, always alert, returned to the keepers to inform them of potential danger. She had seen a rock hyrax standing on the rocky areas, watching her and the other babies. Another rock hyrax joined, and when both saw the big herd of orphaned elephants and the keepers, they ran away onto the rocks and disappeared. There was no danger after all, but the Keepers still appreciated Lima Lima’s alert.

Quanza and Kiasa were both trying to convince Mwana to choose whom she wanted to go with today. Mwana chose Quanza today, and when Kiasa saw this, she walked over to ask why the baby chose Quanza and not her. Fair is fair, and Quanza did not feel happy that Kiasa was trying to sway Mwana’s decision. She moved to where Kiasa was with lots of complaints and moved her away. 

Kapei arrived at the waterhole and took off straight to the mud bath for a swim. He was followed and joined by his older rival, Maktao. When Maktao tried to step into the waterhole, Kapei tried to scare him by pushing, but his tusks could not hurt Maktao. Instead, Kapei found himself in trouble for his actions. Maktao turned against him, climbed on his back, and pushed him into the water. Only Kapei's small trunk was above the water while his whole body was submerged in the mud. Maktao continued to fight him hard, which made Kapei shout for help. This noise prompted older elephants to come and help him from being pushed underwater due to the weight of Maktao over him.

Sonje, Kapei's friend, was very unhappy with Maktao. She came and pushed Maktao out of the water, instructing him to leave the little boy alone. She continued to fight Maktao very hard until he moved away to the bushes. Kapei felt happy and very much vindicated! 

After the orphans came out to the gate, they found Lima Lima and other night clubbers already waiting. Enkesha got into a tricky situation with Maktao, who blocked her way to the pellets and to the babies. She tried to move aside to give Maktao his time and freedom to do whatever he was doing, but Maktao refused to give Enkesha the respect she deserves. This forced a keeper to caution Maktao to leave Enkesha alone. Free from her bullish friend, she snuck out slowly behind the keeper, moved to the wall for a scratch, and then joined Kiasa and Amali, who were keeping Mwana busy while Murera enjoyed her pellets.

Sonje and Quanza then moved in a different direction, trying to lead everyone away from where Alamaya and Mwashoti wanted to go. The other head girls listened, and soon all the elephants moved together to the Kibwezi Forest as one family with no separation or division among the orphans. All the matriarchs put the herd together, and everyone followed Murera and Sonje's commands to the top of the hills. When it was time for the midday milk feed, the keepers called all the babies to come down.

Enkesha got confused and followed Lima Lima, who went with a wild herd in another direction, causing Enkesha to miss her midday bottles. Later, she was heard trumpeting from the thickest bushes at the top of the hills, making her way to the mud bath. She had separated from the wild friends and Lima Lima, and now returned alone to the orphan herd. Unfortunately, her bottle had been taken by little Amali, who got two bottles instead. Amali had to fight hard for it with Kapei, who was also eyeing the extra bottle. However, a keeper chose to give it to Amali, the youngest orphan and Mwana's adopted sister.

After bottle feeding, all the babies went into the mud bath and wallowed peacefully until they were satisfied. Then they walked out to the soil pile to dry off and went to the bushes to wait for the keepers to finish their lunch before moving into the forest for the rest of the day.

Kapei, while at the soil pile with the other orphans, decided to play by climbing on top of his older friends repeatedly, almost as if they were playing acrobatics. This behaviour eventually drew the attention of Kiasa and Quanza, who saw it as disrespectful and inappropriate, especially since he was climbing on older friends like Enkesha, Mwashoti and Alamaya. They warned Kapei to stop his antics before the older elephants might retaliate. Realising that things could turn bad, Kapei wisely left everyone in peace.

Meanwhile, Murera and the younger babies walked up the Umani Hills. They encountered two male buffaloes blocking their path. Murera sent them into a hasty retreat with a loud trumpet. Enkesha also tried to blow her trunk, but because of the hole left by a poacher’s snare, the sound was too soft and squeaky to have any effect. When Kiombo joined Murera, it was clear the buffaloes had already fled, allowing Murera and her herd to climb the hill without any further obstacles.

Later, at the mud bath, the orphans enjoyed their time. Sonje went to the water trough for clean water, and Kapei followed her. Kiasa, Amali, and Maktao chose not to join them when they saw Mwashoti approaching with a stick in his trunk. Kiombo and Maktao tried to grab the stick from Mwashoti, but he refused to let go. Mwashoti is the boys’ older friend and tutor, but he does not always let them win. 

The elephants had a very interesting start to their day. As soon as the orphans came out of their stockades to start their new day together, Ziwa and his wild herd arrived and stood by the gate, waiting for his young friends to come. Meanwhile, his wild herd family was laying on the soil pile outside the stockades. However, they soon got jealous when they saw Ziwa spending time with the orphans and keepers. The female leader started rumbling and blowing loud trumpets, warning Ziwa that they would leave without him.

When Ziwa saw the herd leaving, he abandoned the dependent orphans to go with his wild family back towards the Chyulus. Amali escorted Ziwa to his friends, and she was almost deceived by a young baby who she thought was like Mwana. However, the baby's mother chased Amali away, and she had to run back to where Mwana was with Kiasa and Enkesha. Mwashoti, along with Kapei, followed Ziwa’s wild herd, but Mwashoti found himself blocked from joining after Ziwa felt it was unnecessary for Mwashoti to be with them. Perhaps Ziwa enjoys being the only orphan member of their herd. Mwashoti returned to Sonje and Lima Lima.

As the babies returned to the mud bath, they stopped in the shade of a fig tree. Some hornbills flew into the branches, making lots of noise, which Mwana and Kapei didn’t like. This forced the nannies to calm Mwana, who was running away from the birds' noises. At the waterhole, none of the babies wallowed. Instead, Lima Lima led them to the soil pile, where instead of throwing dust on themselves, they dug up soil to eat for more minerals. Kiombo and Maktao then went back to their play-fighting in the bushes.

Today, Kapei took off with his close friend who kept trying to take him away at an early age — none other than Lima Lima. When it came time for the mud bath, he missed his bottle because Lima Lima, Mwashoti, and Zongoloni had whisked him away. After realising it was too late, Lima Lima and Mwashoti walked Kapei back to the herd, but they found all the milk bottles had already been taken away back to the truck. 

Amali was given Kapei’s bottle because she never fails to come to a milk feed, unlike Kapei, who is sometimes misled by the nightclubbers. After finding no bottle for himself, Kapei felt resentful towards little Amali. Luckily, she took refuge next to Sonje and Murera, who kept her safe and protected. Kapei abandoned his plans to bully Amali.

In the evening in the stockades, Kiombo and Kiasa had a disagreement over a stick. Kiombo pulled it to his side, then Kiasa pulled it to her side. Eventually, the stick broke into two and each could have a piece instead of one elephant taking it all. Kiombo is being mean to Kiasa perhaps because she is a girl, but Kiasa showed her ability to fight back. In the end, they both shared the stick and neither became a loser.

Kenzili Hills was the stopover for the elephants immediately after they reached the hills, led by Quanza and a wild friend they encountered while browsing. They were heading into the thickest bushes, so the keepers waited behind in a clearer area. 

Mwana felt thirsty and went under Sonje to try and nurse, but Sonje ignored her, which caused Mwana to yell. None of the nannies were bothered, knowing how dramatic she can be, and everyone kept browsing. Mwana screamed again and then moved to Zongoloni, who allowed her to suckle but didn't provide milk. When Mwana finally went to Lima Lima, she was very happy to find that she had some watery milk, which satisfied her. Murera, meanwhile, excused herself and enjoyed a relaxing break from breastfeeding. It will be interesting when the nannies have babies of their own to nurse.

Today, it was cold from early morning until the orphans came for their midday bottles. The keepers showed them to the waterhole, but no one wanted to go in. They all just drank water without daring to wallow. Even little Mwana stayed far from the waterhole. 

Things got exciting when two warthogs approached and were cornered by Mwana and Amali, who chased them out of sight. This left the whole herd in a charging mood, bashing at the bushes long after the warthogs disappeared.

This morning, Maktao came out with Amali and Kiasa, while Sonje and Quanza were already by the gate waiting for them to join. They all walked behind Murera, who was taking a different path from where the keepers wanted to go. A keeper called the girls back and they listened. The keepers then chose the right direction: As Murera and Sonje turned around, two buffalos emerged on the path they were originally taking.

A klipspringer crossed the lava rocks along the Kenzili path, scaring the elephants in the lead. They were stranded, not knowing which way to go. Mwana and Enkesha returned to where Lima Lima was with other babies. They avoided the lava rocks, as the sharp stones were too dangerous to walk through. Quanza and Zongoloni changed direction and moved the herd to Kenze instead. 

Later, Quanza debuted her new fiancé. He was very protective and clearly wanted to be alone with Quanza. In fact, he charged at Murera, which caused the orphans to make a hasty exit. Later in the afternoon, Quanza rejoined her loyal herd.

One huge wild bull came for water at the trough close to the Umani Lodge, where two buffaloes also came to drink. The bull was not ready to allow the buffaloes to drink from the same trough. He began chasing them, but the buffaloes remained defiant and did not leave. After waiting for a long time and realising the buffaloes wouldn't leave, the bull eventually gave up and left the trough, allowing the buffaloes to drink.

The orphans arrived shortly after, trumpeting loudly to hint to the buffaloes that they should leave before the herd arrived. Kapei came for his bottles, followed by Kiasa and Kiombo. After taking their bottles, Kiombo, Kiasa, and Kapei went to chase away the buffaloes at the mud bath. The elephants were waiting for their chance to wallow, but the buffaloes overstayed, forcing Kapei and Kiombo to push them away so that the water trough would be free.

Sonje and Zongoloni watched from under a tree as Mwana, Amali, and Kiasa wallowed and swam. Their playful swimming attracted the attention of Sonje and Zongoloni, who eventually joined the babies in the pond, which was full of water lilies. When Amali and Mwana went under the water, only their tiny tails and the water lilies covering their heads were visible, helping the keepers locate them.

Murera and Mwashoti stayed by the side, observing how the herd enjoyed the waterhole. Murera took her time studying which side of the waterhole to enter. After her careful study, she identified a safe spot with fewer elephants to avoid any potential injury, and then she joined the others in the water.

Mwana became very stubborn towards Lima Lima and Zongoloni. As soon as the nannies arrived, Mwana left her mother, Murera, and headed towards Zongoloni. However, Zongoloni, knowing that Mwana was coming for nursing, tried hard to ignore her. When Mwana realised Zongoloni was avoiding her, she switched to Lima Lima, who was oblivious. Mwana was already under Lima Lima's belly, pulling at her breast. Lima Lima quickly moved away, leaving Mwana behind, who then screamed as if someone was bothering her. This outcry forced her mother and the other nannies to come and see what was wrong, only to find Mwana was just demanding more attention from Lima Lima, who had grown tired of her persistent pulling.

Amali moved closer to join Enkesha. Mwana was still unhappy with Lima Lima's refusal. Mwana, being a baby, didn't understand why Zongoloni and Lima Lima ignored her today. It was because she was very demanding and pulling at their breasts so hard that it caused pain. Zongoloni and Lima Lima couldn't tolerate it any longer.

Later, the dependent orphans came from the bushes and went straight into the larger waterhole filled with water lilies. When Mwana and Amali jumped into the water, their whole bodies were covered with water lilies. The whole herd then went to wallow in the water. Kiasa climbed on Kiombo, who initially thought it was Maktao. When Kiombo realised it was Kiasa, he pushed her down, as he did not appreciate being mounted.

Wildlife is now streaming into the Kibwezi Forest after recognizing it as a safe haven. This morning, a big elephant bull came to the stockades for water, followed by antelopes. The orphans then came across a wild herd that had entered the area. When the orphans' herd tried to join them, only Lima Lima and Zongoloni were ready to face the wild herd, while Murera and the little nannies kept their distance, guided by Murera to a safer place.

Later, the wild herd joined the babies, but one wild bull looked at the orphans differently, sensing the presence of keepers among them. Lima Lima raised her trunk to detect the wild smell and guide the keepers away from the wild herd. She alerted the keepers about the presence of wild elephants, prompting them to leave the area.

Mwana saw the keepers and Lima Lima leaving and followed them to their hideout. This attracted Kiasa and Enkesha, who also followed to see where Mwana and the keepers were headed. Everyone moved away from the wild elephants, to more peaceful areas.

The orphans walked to the Umani Hills today for more browsing and to get fresh greens after Alamaya came to them this morning and guided them. They found all the food they wanted in the hills. Then, a wild herd with many little babies joined them. When baby Mwana saw tiny babies much younger than her age in the herd, she moved to meet them. They all hugged and played together joyfully. Mwana was so happy with her new friends.

When the keepers were collecting all the babies to get ready for the midday bottle feeding, Murera went to collect her baby, who was still amidst the wild herd. Mwana was having a lot of fun and was reluctant to go. Kiasa, Enkesha, and Amali went down to the milk feed, but immediately after taking their bottles, they realised Mwana wasn’t with them. They screamed loudly and Murera replied by blowing a big trumpet, which made the babies know which direction to go and look for Mwana.

All the nannies rushed and ran very quickly to return to the hills. Kiasa and Amali whisked Mwana away from the wild herd, and all the girls happily circled her. The baby was now back with the orphans, and the herd was now complete.

Maktao showed us how independent he is today, by choosing not to report back with the milk-dependent group. When it was time to come back to the stockades, he skipped away from the team and hid in the bushes with Lima Lima, Mwashoti, and Sonje. His milk bottle was given to Murera instead. Mwana tried to lick the spilled milk from the ground, but never wanted to drink it from the bottle. Although she started her life drinking from a bottle, her wild instincts have kicked in.

Amali complained when Kapei stole some of her branches by sliding them through the gate separating their rooms. The keepers helped Amali out, moving her greens out of Kapei's reach. Outside, wild friends were waiting for some lucerne to be thrown outside the fence. When they saw a keeper approaching with a wheelbarrow of lucerne, they backed off to give him space. This was done, and the orphans settled back into their rooms as the wild friends celebrated the grass with Mwashoti and Alamaya.

Enkesha, Kiasa, and Quanza became annoyed with Amali today when the younger girl tried to take Mwana away from the group. They protested and complained to Murera. Suddenly, all the nannies were fighting over the baby, as everyone wanted to be close to Mwana. Meanwhile, Mwana was unaware of all the drama she had caused, and happily moved between all the girls, enjoying their company and attention.

At the mud bath, one huge wild bull emerged from the waterhole. He started to make his way over to the orphan herd, who were drinking their bottles. Once he heard the keepers’ voices, however, he left in a hurry. 

But then, a warthog appeared from the bushes and ran through the shrubs at the wild bull’s feet. The bull did not realise what had passed so close to his legs and became very worried, trying to run away but unsure where to go. Elephants like to be able to see everything around them, and when they cannot see something within earshot, it makes them deeply unsettled. The bull ran off in quite a hurry!

Wild herds met with the orphans in the hills. It all began on Monday last week and it has become a daily occurrence now. Murera accidentally found herself amidst the visitors when she went to fetch Mwana. The wild herd surrounded Murera and Mwana, wanting them to accompany them to the Chyulu Hills. Lima Lima and Zongoloni were also in their midst, which caused Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha to stay with them, as they didn’t want to leave Mwana behind. 

Kapei had a very good midday milk feed today, as he had the absent orphans’ extra milk bottles. When Murera realised the keepers were calling her, she came running towards them. This caused all the other orphans to run over, too, as they refused to let Mwana out of their sight! We wonder what this wild herd’s intentions are; they have been joining the orphans regularly and perhaps they would like to recruit them into their herd.

Mwana and Amali guided the orphans to the main waterhole which is covered with lots of water lilies. When the two little sisters decided to go into that waterhole, no one objected. The wallowing began so well — only tails and trunks could be seen, as everyone dunked themselves in the water! Sonje, Quanza, and Mwashoti remained at the top of the hills to mingle with wild friends. Later in the afternoon, they came looking for orphans. The wild herd didn’t follow them into the bushes today; instead, Sonje and Lima Lima took the babies into the shade when it became too hot.

Some crane birds swooped in front of Amali and Enkesha, chasing grasshoppers to eat. Amali was shocked by their noisy, chaotic appearance and took off running, screaming as she went. Enkesha also ran away, because she did not know why Amali was running! After the birds disappeared, Kapei went to collect the girls. 

When it was time for the babies to return to the stockades, Maktao together with Kiombo took over to lead the herd back home. The head girls couldn’t stand for this: before they reached the stockades, they pushed the boys to the back of the line, so the leadership still belonged to them!

Today began as a very chilly day, lasting from morning until midday. None of the babies had any interest in mud bathing today; they just had a drink at the waterhole and then left. 

Later, Alamaya showed up from the Kibwezi Forest. Mwashoti moved back into the bushes and brought him into the herd. Kapei and Quanza moved over to where Alamaya was with Mwashoti to greet him after his long stint away from the herd.

The buffaloes that usually visit the mud bath found themselves in a no-go zone today. It was like a tug of war between the orphans and the buffaloes. The buffaloes wanted their space around the dust hill, and the orphans refused to give them space. Little Kapei teamed up with Alamaya, Mwashoti, Kiombo, and Maktao to defend the place. It was four male buffaloes against the whole orphan herd. The head girls blew loud trumpets as the boys pushed the buffaloes away. In the end, it was a victory for the elephants, although we are sure the buffaloes will be back tomorrow or the next day.

The orphans had a morning meeting as they headed to the Kibwezi Forest. Alamaya and Mwashoti brought some wild friends to meet the orphans. It was observed that Zongoloni and Quanza were missing. When the wild herd was leaving, the keepers noticed that they did not want to part with the orphans. Murera and the little nannies moved aside to give the wild herd their own space. Sonje, realising that Murera wanted the visitors to leave, took them in a separate direction to allow Murera and the nannies a peaceful time together.

Lima Lima walked back to look after Mwana, but found that there was no room for her. Amali and Kiasa surrounded the baby, shielding her from wandering away. As the day grew hotter, the elephants became thirsty and started to look for a suitable waterhole. The closest waterhole was near the mud bath, forcing the babies to report there earlier than usual.

Kapei didn’t realise that it was still too early for the midday bottles and opened his mouth, begging for milk. The keepers had to remind him to be patient. When the milk vehicle finally arrived, Kapei jubilantly approached and loitered around while the bottles were placed on the ground. After quickly finishing his bottle, Kapei came back in line with his mouth wide open, asking for more. The keepers did not have any extras for the greedy boy, and he reluctantly moved on to the water hole.

Wild elephants came along with Faraja and Alamaya today. They soon left after realising the keepers were around. One female spotted a keeper and alerted her friends to leave. Faraja and Alamaya did not go with them and instead decided to remain with the dependent orphans. 

For some reason, Zongoloni had a falling out with Alamaya today. Whenever Alamaya tried to get too close, she turned on him and chased him away. However, she was very happy for Faraja to spend time with her — her issue was only with Alamaya. Alamaya decided to go where Mwashoti was playing with Maktao. Mwashoti was trying to teach Maktao some pushing tactics as his trainer. However, the game ended when Alamaya joined, because Maktao was wary of his long tusks.

Amali and Kiasa found a dust hill to play on. Amali went to her own side, giving Kiasa space to welcome little Mwana, who jumped on top of Kiasa as if she was a jungle gym. Enkesha joined Amali, and all the girls had a wonderful time playing together. When it became too hot, Sonje took Mwana into the shade. 

The wild herd again joined the orphans from the Chyulu side. When they arrived at the waterhole, they found two buffaloes sleeping in the waterhole they wanted to drink from. The wild herd had no patience for them and forced the buffaloes to leave.

Murera and Mwana slowly walked out of their room. Murera seemed tired after a night of nursing, as Mwana was still demanding milk. Needing a break, Murera walked away and Mwana rushed over to Lima Lima. Right now, Mwana is getting the milk of two mothers: Murera and Lima Lima (who is pregnant but has started to produce milk). It will be an adjustment for Mwana when Lima Lima has a baby of her own next year.

When Lima Lima got bored of Mwana’s nursing, she walked away. Mwana yelled in protest. Sonje walked over to comfort her, but the spoiled baby shunned her and instead went to her favourite nannies, Kiasa and Enkesha. The girls delivered her back to Murera, who continued to ignore her demands for milk. Mwana gets more than enough; she is just a very greedy feeder.

Kiombo moved to his longtime friend Maktao with his tusks up and ready for a challenge. Both knew what to expect. Maktao pushed hard, which sent Kiombo running over to Kapei and Quanza, who were playing on the soil pile. Alamaya watched everything unfold.

The nightclubbers delayed their arrival today, as they sometimes do. Murera, along with the other dependent babies, enjoyed their morning pellet session before heading in a different direction. They communicated with low-frequency sounds to other friends, but the keepers had to redirect them to a safer area. The initial path was surrounded by dense bush and still somewhat dark. Murera agreed with their decision and guided the group.

The head girls arrived late and moved to the stockades, searching for any leftovers from Murera's team. Sonje, Alamaya, Lima Lima, Zongoloni, and Faraja found some fresh lucerne to eat, which delayed their joining the dependent orphans until midday bottle feeding time. When the girls arrived, Mwana rushed to their chests for breastfeeding, which Lima Lima welcomed warmly. Following this, the elephants enjoyed a mud bath and dust bathing. Amali and Kiasa had a really great time.

After the soil dusting session, Enkesha took the lead, signaling to the herd that it was time to seek shade as the temperature began to rise. She knew that it was important to protect the baby from the hot sun. Mwana briefly stopped at a small rock to scratch an itch before following Kiasa to the bushes.

It was a very lovely morning as the Umani orphans and keepers celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the opening of the Umani Springs Reintegration Unit. This unit, among the existing Sheldrick Wildlife Trust integration centres, is special because it cares for orphans with disabilities. These are elephants like Murera and other friends whose conditions wouldn't allow them to go to Ithumba or Voi, which are too harsh for wildlife with disabilities. For babies like Murera and Sonje, Umani offers a more suitable environment.

Today marks ten years since Umani officially opened to orphans. The babies have thrived well at Umani, with nearly half of the herd now living semi-wild, although they still visit their keepers. Among these, three are expecting babies in the coming new year. It's remarkable to celebrate this milestone because Murera and her friend Sonje were the first to come to Umani, and they opened many opportunities for more friends who are now happy to be here. This anniversary also marked a significant milestone for Murera and Sonje, the first founders of the Umani orphans. Murera has given Umani its first baby, Mwana, who joined her mother in the celebrations.

The keepers provided more lucerne hay and pellets as treats to mark the special day. Kapei got greedy and demanded an extra milk bottle. However, the keepers did not fulfil his extra demands, and he eventually gave up and moved away to eat his greens.

After yesterday's celebrations, Lima Lima and her nightclubbing friends reported very early, hoping there might be more treats like those they enjoyed during the ten-year Umani celebrations. They were disappointed to find that the celebration was a one-day event. Lima Lima, Quanza, and Sonje picked up Amali and others to head to the bushes. While the boys joined them, Amali returned to find Enkesha and Kiasa, who remained her friends.

A herd of wild elephants, with about five little babies above Mwana's age, tried to join Mwana and Amali. However, Mwana was wise and realised that they were a big group of wild elephants. She didn't want to join them and returned to her herd. Quanza and Zongoloni helped bring Mwana back to her group, and although Murera wasn't around, the nannies took great care of her after the wild herd left. Some orphans escorted the wild herd to the bushes but later came running back to where the keepers were sitting next to the little nannies.

After joining the herd, the orphans and keepers moved to some areas to relocate and find more food to eat. While the orphans were on top of the Kenzili Hills, they encountered buffalos. Sonje moved a few metres further and found antelopes next to baboons. The buffalos separated after Maktao and Kiombo moved to send them off from the bushes, ensuring safer browsing space for the orphans. With the area now safer, Murera led the way into the deeper forest, followed by Amali and Mwana.

A few minutes later, Lima Lima and Kapei were startled by something, causing Kapei to turn back and run hard to where Enkesha and Quanza were having a dust bath. This sudden movement made them get up quickly, ready to run away, even though there was nothing around to be afraid of.

Most of the wild elephants came to visit this morning and found the orphans still at the pellet eating area. Murera sensed the presence of the wild elephants and quickly left, allowing the keepers to guide the babies away to avoid joining the wild herd, which also had five wild-born babies. After the wild herd arrived at the pellets place, the keepers and their babies left in a hurry.

However, Alamaya and Mwashoti came and joined their wild friends, whom Alamaya knew well as his guests. Murera was unaware that the wild herd had come to visit Mwashoti because he did not share the news about the visitors. 

The orphans then changed their browsing direction for the day to the Umani Springs area and later crossed to Kenzili for more food on the hills, where wild elephants and other buffaloes would not be able to chase them away.

As the ten-year Umani celebration continues, the keepers and babies were full of joy. Murera and Sonje, the founders of this special unit created to help the most compromised babies, were celebrated for thriving in this cool, lush environment. The keepers sought out soft greens to please their wonderful orphans. Zongoloni, Lima Lima, and Mwashoti eagerly approached for treats from the keepers’ hands. Amali brought Mwana to get some greens from the nannies.

Mwana and Amali have developed a strong bond, sticking together throughout the day. Wherever Amali goes, Mwana follows closely. That was true this day, too. When Mwana became thirsty and sought nursing, she approached Lima Lima, but found no milk, as Enkesha had already suckled it all. Mwana complained with rumbling sounds, but Lima Lima, understanding the behaviour of little ones, didn’t take it seriously. Amali comforted Mwana with a hug.

In the evening, as it was time for the orphans to return home, Enkesha lined up her little friends, Amali and Mwana, leading them to the stockades while staying at the back to ensure their safety. Quanza wanted to be with Mwana and broke the line. Everyone enjoyed a night of rest after a long, eventful day.

Today, the elephants moved to the Chyulu Hills area for a day-long excursion. Ziwa and Jasiri were spotted by Zongoloni, who brought the two boys back to the herd after they had spent a long time adventuring in the bushes with wild friends. As the midday bottle feeding time approached, the keepers began calling the babies to gather for milk bottles and mud bath time. The orphans responded quickly, knowing it was bottle feeding time, a treat no one wanted to miss.

Kapei was the first to arrive from the Chyulu Hills, where he had been busy pulling branches to eat. As soon as he heard the keepers whistling, he rushed over, knowing it was time for their ‘yummy yummy’ bottles. Those not dependent on milk, led by Sonje, Lima Lima, and Quanza, separated themselves and headed to the waterhole for a mud bath. Meanwhile, the younger orphans hurried to the bottles. Kapei was first, followed by Kiasa.

After the babies got their bottles, Sonje and Lima Lima called everyone back to the waterhole. The keepers took this opportunity to go for their midday lunch. Mwana followed with Amali, and without waiting any longer, Kapei, Amali, and Mwana jumped into the waterhole to swim together. Mwana turned on her belly and began rubbing it against Kapei's back, then continued rolling and rubbing through to Kiasa and Enkesha, who allowed her to keep playing as a baby would.

A big herd of wild elephants visited the stockades in the afternoon. The water trough was soon surrounded by the wild herd, which included many babies, some even younger than Mwana. They drank all the water and stood waiting for more, which the keepers supplied. After quenching their thirst, the older members of the wild herd began to move towards the bushes behind the stockade fence line, where they found some lucerne left by the orphans.

The wild elephants spent lots of time at the lucerne until the nightclubbers arrived. Sonje stopped when she realised that they had company. She signalled to Quanza, Alamaya, and Mwashoti not to go beyond a certain point. However, Mwashoti and Alamaya walked in confidently, recognizing the wild elephants as their friends. 

When one of the wild herd's babies yelled, Kiasa became very disturbed, thinking it was Mwana. She tried to pull and shake the gate, attempting to get out. Everyone else remained calm, realising that the baby was just being dramatic. In the end, the wild friends did not want to share the lucerne, so Mwashoti and Alamaya returned to their female friends, Sonje and Quanza. 

It was a peaceful morning, perfect for everyone to start their day in a happy mood. Amali was seen playing with her little sisters, while Maktao and Kiombo enjoyed their usual pushing games. Sonje and Alamaya were absent, but later the keepers realised they were just hiding, enjoying lucerne in the thick bushes. Kapei was the one who found them: He ventured behind the stockades and led the Keepers to their location.

Enkesha then took over the leadership from Lima Lima and Zongoloni, who had left for the Chyulu Hills. Enkesha and her deputy, Kiasa, led the herd. They headed towards the Umani Hills and climbed to the top before coming down to join Faraja and his friends who were browsing below. As the babies began crossing the road, Quanza spotted a turtle. Quanza attempted to push it over, causing the turtle to retract its head, leaving only its shell. Quanza, was startled and luckily refrained from stepping on it. The other orphans took a different direction to avoid the turtle.

At the waterhole, the elephants were not in a mood for swimming. They drank water and had their milk bottles before returning to the bushes. A wild herd joined the orphans under the shade and the orphans welcomed them. The elephants had a good time together, as one big family.