Kainuk being playful
Daily updates
March 1st
Kainuk has settled into her new surroundings very well and loves being in the company of the older girls in the group, especially Olare who dotes on her. Murka is also very loving and compassionate to Kainuk and the three were often seen browsing together.
Olare and Murka playing
March 2nd
Sities has formed a special bond with Naipoki and is always the first to check on her whenever the warthogs or other animals scare her.
Sities browsing
Naipoki browsing
March 3rd
Kudup has shown signs of improvement following the treatment that she has been receiving. She has become more active at the mudbath and today spent a long time wallowing in the water and had to run to catch up with the rest of the group when they headed back to the bush.
Kudup
Orphans enjoying the mudbath
March 4th
Since her arrival at the nursery Ishanga has become a greedy, naughty and cheeky orphan. Today while everyone was having their milk bottle at the mudbath Ishanga pushed Kainuk onto the water trough knocking it over, spilling the water all over Kainuk. Ishanga was quickly disciplined by the keepers as she needs to learn that such behaviour is not acceptable.
Ishanga running
Kainuk reacing for her ear
March 5th
In order to avoid Ishanga bullying the younger orphans she has been moved into the older group of nursery orphans where she will not be able to bully the others as they are bigger than she is and will be quick to put her in her place.
Ishanga racing for her milk
Olare
March 6th
Due to the days being very hot the orphans never miss the opportunity to wallow in the mudbath during the morning visiting hour. Kudup spent some time walking along the rope cordon greeting the visiting public. When he was done he pushed the other orphans out of the mudbath so that he could have it to himself.
Kudup browsing
Kalama having milk
March 7th
Naisula and Kitirua seem to have formed a friendship and the two can often be found walking and browsing together. Naisula always wants to be close to Kitirua and refuses to take her milk unless they are side by side. Today, she finished her evening milk feed before Kitirua and her complaining drew the attention of the visiting foster parents who all wondered what all the fuss was.
Naisula having milk
Kitirua with Olare
March 8th
Sities and Naipoki have formed such a strong bond that the only time they are apart is when its bedtime. They tried playing soccer with Sities kicking the ball towards Naipoki who unsuccessfully tried to kick it back, falling over in the process.
Naipoki with Amos
Sities playing with a branch
March 9th
Following her move to the older nursery orphans group Ishanga has calmed down and is now more “polite”, choosing to keep a low profile and behave herself so as not to be disciplined by the others. The one issue that we do have with Ishanga is that she does not want to enter her stockade in the evenings and has to be coerced into it by the keepers.
Ishanga curling her trunk
Orphans on the move
March 10th
The morning began with the orphans charging around engaging each other in pushing games. Makireti and Ishanga who are stable neighbours have become friends and were busy enjoying a game before being disrupted by Kandecha who had to be sent away by the keepers as he was being too rough. Tano ran towards Solio as she exited her stockade. Solio was surprised by this action and ran to the bush with her tail in the air. Tano was equally taken by surprise and quickly rejoined the rest of the group bellowing loudly.
Makireti browsing
Kandecha browsing
March 11th
There was a mix up with the milk bottles today at the 9am feed when Chemi Chemi’s milk was given to Kandecha. The keeper on realizing the error tried to rectify it but was not quick enough for Chemi Chemi who hurriedly drank Kandecha’s milk. Kandecha was so angry that he chased Chemi Chemi. The two were quickly followed by the keepers who did not want to loose them in the bush.
Chemi Chemi
Kandecha given browse by a keeper
March 12th
Kandecha and Mutara have become good friends and engaged each other in a pushing game after the 3pm feed. As the others browsed calmly, Kandecha and Mutara combed the bushes, watched by Kalama who tried to join them but was sidetracked in her attempts to dig up a root that had tripped her causing her to fall. She was triumphant and was soon reaping the fruits of her labour.
Mutara browsing
Kalama browsing
March 13th
Sities enticed Naipoki to play with her by lying down on the ground allowing Naipoki to clamber over her. The came ended abruptly when Naipoki miscalculated her footing and fell down bellowing which quickly brought Sities to her feet to check on her young friend.
Sities and Naipoki browsing together
Naipoki with Meshak
March 14th
Kandecha and Kibo spent some time sizing each other up today in an effort to determine who was stronger. Their strength testing games caught the attention of Olare and Murka who joined them. Olare was quick to win her match with Kandecha whilst Kibo beat Murka. This morning we received a rescue alert from Lewa Downs and a team was sent to bring the calf to Nairobi. The orphan was suspected to be a poaching victim and although a little aggressive did not appear to be in bad condition and fed well. The other orphans were brought to meet her at 3pm. Mutara and Olare were very affectionate with her and wanted to take her back to the bush with them.
Kibo
Murka with Julius
March 15th
Sities led her group to the mudbath for their noon milk feed and wallow where they encountered a family of warthogs. Mutara, Makireti and Shukuru forgot about their milk and charged towards the warthogs who hastily retreated into the nearby bushes before once again approaching the mudbath when the orphans were wallowing. Makireti who was dust bathing saw them mounting a charge which was joined by Mutara.
Mutara flapping ears
Makireti
March 16th
The new orphan Kazita collapsed this morning and was put on a drip. She got back onto her feet at 3pm and was aggressive and charging at the keepers. She collapsed again an hour later and remained on a drip until she died at about 4am.
Kazita and the orphans outside her stockade
Keepers delivering browse for the orphans
March 17th
It was a cloudy and chilly morning and the orphans were greeted with a light rain shower as they exited their stockades and engaged each other in pushing games. Kandecha once again bested Kibo who took his frustration at loosing out on Kalama, Murka and Kitirua. At 3pm there was a heavy downpour and the orphans, with the exception of Kudup, Kainuk and Naipoki, enjoyed a mudbath.
Solio
Orphans enjoying the mudbath
March 18th
The orphans exited their stockades in a jovial mood and headed out to the field where Chemi Chemi and Ishanga played strength testing games. Both these orphans can be a handful as they like to throw their weight around and have to be disciplined by Olare and the other older females. The youngsters enjoyed being rubbed with coconut oil before having a dustbath where Mutara, Makireti and Turkwel lay down inviting Naipoki and Kainuk to climb all over them.
Turkwel
Olare playing
March 19th
Rain fell throughout the night and due to the gloomy weather Kudup, Kainuk and Naipoki were all kept in the stockades until the day warmed up. Mutara and Sities protested about leaving the others behind and wanted to go back for them. In the afternoon Shukuru, Tano, Ishanga and Kalama had a great time charging around chasing the resident warthogs while trumpeting loudly. The other orphans soon joined in and a lot of fun was had bush bashing.
Kainuk rubbing her eye
Tano playing
March 20th
Once out in the field Solio had fun charging around before mud bathing. She jumped in and out of the water and enjoyed rolling around in small rain puddles. Upon returning to her stockade in the evening she greeted Maxwell through the posts separating their stockades. Maxwell loves having Solio next door and always welcomes her company.
Solio taking a nap
Max eating lucerne
March 21th
Naipoki spent the morning in the company of the keepers. She enjoyed sucking their fingers as they lavished her with attention. Kudup who has not been well for the past few months is always the last to arrive out in the bush as well as to the milk bottles. She has been receiving treatment and has showed some improvement. When out in the bush she is often in the company of Naisula and Kalama who are good friends and enjoy browsing together.
Naipoki with Amos
Kudup out browsing
March 22th
Kudup stayed in the bush as the rest of the orphans went to the mudbath for their noon milk feed. When it was time to leave Mutara, Makireti and Turkwel headed back out making a huge racket as they trumpeted and charged through the bushes to rejoin Kudup. The orphans rumbled in greeting as they all gathered around Kudup embracing her with their trunks.
Makireti browsing
Mutara playing
Orphans running for milk
March 23th
The orphans greeted each other as they exited the stockades and played some pushing games before heading out to the field to browse. Sites had a lovely time running up and down the cordon at the noon mudbath greeting the visitors. Mutara misses Kudup’s presence at the mudbath and is always the first to embrace Kudup when they rejoin her in the bush.
Chemi Chemi jumping on Mutara
Kibo trying to eat grass
March 24th
This morning a film crew from Austria was here to film the orphans. Naipoki was quick to greet and play with them as they photographed her. Kandecha and Kibo were next to catch their attention as they engaged one another in strength testing games. Naisula, Kitirua and Ishanga are quieter orphans who tend to keep to themselves and as such were not photographed much.
Naipoki playing with a twig
Naisula at the mudbath
March 25th
As it was Friday the orphans were all gathered together so that they could be given their weekly coconut oil rubdown. Olare tried to sneak off but was quickly brought back by the keepers to get covered in oil before they all went off to enjoy a dustbath. Kudup continues to show slight improvement although her legs are a little stiff and sore from the injections she has been receiving as treatment. However she seems to be happier than she was and her eyes are brighter which shows that she is feeling better.
Orphans leaving the mudbath
Lovely Kudup
March 26th
At the public visiting time most of the orphans chose to forgo the mudbath in favour of a dustbath. The orphans were visited at 3pm by some VIP’s from Norway. The visitors had a lovely time with the orphans who were very welcoming and enjoyed meeting the group.
Ishanga in the bushes
Kitirua
March 27th
As soon as Solio exited her stockade she headed straight to her midden before greeting Maxwell who was patiently waiting for her to pass by. The two rhinos knocked horns through the stockade posts. Max was so happy and he took to running up and down his stockade returning to play with Solio before taking off again. The game came to abrupt halt when Max decided to spray Solio who quickly headed off to the bush with her keepers.
Max in his stockade
Sweet Solio
March 28th
After their morning milk feed Kalama, Naisula, Kitirua and Turkwel took to chasing a bush buck that was browsing nearby. They bush buck ran into the bushes which caused the four orphans to trumpet loudly as they crashed through the brush in an effort to find him. Kandecha and Kibo followed the four girls with the intent of mounting them. The girls ran to Olare and the keepers for protection from the two mischievous boys.
Kalama and Naipoki in the lead
Kitirua with Olare
March 29th
The day was rather uneventful and the orphans spent it browsing taking a break to have a dustbath in the soil from an old anthill. Shukuru, Sities, Mutara and Olare were lying down enjoying the loose soil at when Kibo tried to mount them. The keepers were quick to discipline him and bring him back in line. Kudup’s stool is back to normal and she is no longer suffering from diarrhea which leads us to believe that the treatment she is receiving is working.
Shukuru on the right and Mutara
Kibo with Naipoki
March 30th
As the orphans left their stockades they rumbled and trumpeted at each other in greeting before engaging in their usual strength testing games. During the mudwallow Murka, Ishanga, Kitirua and Naisula had a fun time climbing out of the mudbath and then sliding back in. Kibo brought the game to an end when he entered the mudbath and tried to mount Murka who was having none of it and quickly exited standing in the mudwallow.
Murka playing
Mutara left and Ishanga
March 31th
There was a heavy shower as the orphans exited their stockades, which meant that Kudup, Naipoki and Kainuk remained in their stockades out of the rain while the rest of the orphans enjoying the wet earth and small rain pools that were forming. Solio was also having a lovely time in the rain and was running in and out of the bushes, rolling around on the ground and digging up dirt with her horn. In the afternoon Kitirua was escorting Naipoki back to the keepers when they ran into some warthogs. Kitirua was quick to charge at the warthogs who would not give way. She trumpeted loudly drawing the attention of the other orphans who quickly joined her in chasing the warthogs into the bushes.
Kibo having fun
Mutara on the left, Ishanga and Shukuru