01 May 2002

Upon leaving the Stockades in the morning, Kinna and Yatta had a wonderful game chasing each other around the bushes. Laikipia decided to leave Natumi's middle sized group and spend the day with Yatta and the babies. Meanwhile Emily and Imenti left the other orphans in the care of Aitong, and spent time feeding together some way from the main group, joining them again at l0 a.m. After the mudbath Emily joined a wild herd, and enjoyed testing her strength with a young cow of her age. She returned to join the others on their way back to the Stockades in the evening.

02 May 2002

After leaving the Night Stockades, Icholta pushed Mvita hard whilst grappling for the same root. At noon, Emily protected the Keepers from two aggressive lions who approached them. On spotting the Keepers, the lions roared, scaring everyone, but Emily trumpeted and circled the Keepers closely and constantly, demonstrating against the lions who eventually ran off.

03 May 2002

At noon, Nasalot and Mulika monopolised one of the drums of water, ganging up to prevent Ndara and Maungu from drinking. Each time the two younger elephants approached Nasalot and Mulika closed the gap between them, until the Keepers had to intervene. Natumi and Ilingwezi decided to join Emily, Loisaba, Imenti and Tsavo when they left to feed further afield, returning to the others at 3 p.m.

04 May 2002

Kinna and Nasalot watched hungrily as Ndara and Maungu took their midday bottles of milk, begging for a little. Meanwhile Salama and Edie initiated a new game, kneeling and sliding down the banks of the waterhole. Natumi and Laikipia joined in. At 3 p.m. Salama pushed Mweiga, causing her to fall. Since Emily was not nearby, the Keepers went to her rescue.

05 May 2002

Nyiro came across a paper bag, and began to play, throwing it up in the air, and kicking it like a football when it came down. Mukwaju and Yatta soon joined in. Salama decided to join the baby group today, and kept mounting Mukwaju to prove his superiority. After a long mudbath, Imenti took a nap under a tree, draping his trunk over a tusk as a gesture of friendship, and resting one leg up against the other like a Masai Warrior.

06 May 2002

Kinna and Mukwaju decided to have a trunk tug-of-war, pulling each other by the trunk in opposite directions. Mukwaju won, and this annoyed Kinna, who rumbled. Aitong rushed along to see what the problem was, but upon satisfying herself that not too much was remiss, took to a bush-bashing game in which Tsavo, Ilingwezi and Laikipia were happy to be a part..

07 May 2002

At 9 a.m. Nyiro pushed Nasalot hard, causing her to fall down. Icholta hurried to the scene, but instead of disciplining Nyiro, pushed Nasalot even harder. This annoyed Lolokwe, who rushed to Nasalot's assistance, chasing Icholta and Nyiro away. Salama was threatened by a passing swarm of bees, running to the Keepers for protection. Aitong went ahead of the others to the mudbath, and proceeded to spill all the water in the drums, so the Keepers had to refill them.

08 May 2002

Imenti left the other orphans today, but joined up with them at the mudbath when he "kissed" Emily by putting his trunk in her mouth. Mukwaju had to be reprimanded by the Keepers when Icholta and Salama were testing each others strength, but were separated by Loisaba, who grabbed Salama's tail and pulled him back towards the bank. In the evening, back at the Stockades, Laikipia and Natumi competed for a tasty branch, a contest won by Natumi who got the prize.he pushed Maungu as she was heading for her noon bottle of milk. During mudbath

09 May 2002

At noon Yatta gave chase to a group of baboons, but ran into a male waterbuck during the process. She trumpeted, and the rest of the orphans took up the chase, seeing off both the baboons and the waterbuck. During the mudbath Edie climbed on Natumi, and the Keepers had to wade in and help rescue Natumi. Later Mweiga initiated a bush-bashing session, in which Tsavo took part.

10 May 2002

Kinna shared a tender moment with Mukwaju, placing her trunk gently on his head, something he obviously enjoyed. Imenti saw off a male buffalo who was drinking at the mudbath. After this he took himself off for the rest of the day, but returned to join the others in the evening at the Stockades. Emily took Ndara to feed with her some distance from the others, but rejoined the others after l hour.

11 May 2002

Ndara was very active splashing water over herself in the mudbath, which incurred the jealousy of Maungu, who watched for a while and then pushed her friend. Lolokwe made everyone laugh when he sat down like a dog with his front legs straight, and then toppled over backwards, which brought Aitong to the rescue. Emily's group were scared by two fighting Impala males. They came rushing towards the Keepers. Aitong comforted Mweiga by resting her trunk across Mweiga's back.

12 May 2002

The baby group were adventurous today, grazing far from the Keepers, but Ndara and Maungu became nervous. Yatta tested the wind by raising her trunk, and smelt something that prompted the group to return to the Keepers. During the mudbath, Tsavo enjoyed spraying Ndara with water.

13 May 2002

Ndara and Maungu heard the tractor approaching, and rushed towards it to get their milk ration at noon. During the mudbath, Edie climbed on Salama, but slipped off his slippery back falling flat in the mud, so that her whole body was covered. Later Ilingwezi wanted to be close to Emily, but was shoved hard by Loisaba, who became jealous.

14 May 2002

Nasalot and Mulika decided to spend time together away from the others, but returned after 10 minutes. During the mudbath, Loisaba was scratching her body against Emily's head, trying to rub off a tick. Returning to the Stockades in the evening, Nyiro was shoving Ndara into the lead through the Spring Gates.

15 May 2002

Laikipia was very scared by a woodpecker today, as it was busy making a hole in a tree. He, Edie, Natumi and Ilingwezi ran to the Keepers. Emily charged a buffalo which was following the orphans to the mudbath. In the afternoon, she joined up with a wild group, spending time with them, but returning to join the orphans at the stockades in the evening. Mulika and Lolokwe had a disagreement over the Copra. Nasalot came to Mulika's assistance, and together they shoved Lolokwe clean out of the Stockade.

16 May 2002

Imenti pushed Nasalot hard as they were coming out of the Stockade, injuring her foot. She limped on this foot for two days, and was not interested in playing with Nyiro who tried to initiate a game. Emily went off on her own, and Edie, Aitong, Loisaba and Tsavo went in search of her. She appeared back at the mudbath.

17 May 2002

Nyiro mounted Kinna, but in order to dislodge him, Kinna headed for a thick bush and went through it, knocking Nyiro off. Natumi's group felt threatened by two warthogs they encountered today. They attempted to charge, but the warthogs refused to move, so the orphans ran to their Keepers for help. Emily and Imenti spent all day testing each other's strength, a contest easily won by Imenti.

18 May 2002

On the way out this morning, Mweiga was accidentally pushed against the Spring Gate by Loisaba, and suffered a small electric shock. Later, Icholta was annoyed when Nyiro shoved her from behind as she was busy feeding. At the mudbath Ilingwezi found herself left behind when the others left. She cried in alarm and immediately Natumi and Edie went to fetch her and escort her to where the others were. In the evening, remembering the incident of the morning, Mweiga was reluctant to go through the Spring Gate.

19 May 2002

Kinna, Mukwaju and Nyiro had a wonderful chasing game in which Salama joined. Later, Salama chased an ostrich backed up by Ndara, Maungu and Mvita. On the way back to the Stockades in the evening, Natumi was pushing Laikipia to be first through the Spring Gates. Edo turned up at the Stockades in the evening, greeted eagerly by Emily, Aitong and Tsavo.

20 May 2002

On their way out into the bush, Natumi, Ilingwezi and Edie charged a flock of weavers who were sitting on a bush. Their trumpets attracted Aitong, who came along to take a look, but by this time the birds had flown away. At 10 a.m. Emily and the others scented another elephant approaching, which turned out to be Edo, who spent the morning with our orphans, departing from them after the mudbath.

21 May 2002

On the way to the mudbath, Ilingwezi suddenly realised she had lagged behind, and yelled. Edie rushed to receive her, and escort her along to the others. In the evening Lolokwe was pushed hard by Mulika, having scratched her with a stick he happened to be carrying and Loisaba tried to keep Tsavo away from the Copra handout. The Keepers had to intervene.

22 May 2002

Imenti joined Natumi's group this morning, but did not want the younger elephants to come too close, pushing them away whenever they attempted. Kinna fell as she was running to be first to get her bottle of milk in the evening.

23 May 2002

The younger orphans came first to receive the two newcomers from Nairobi, Mweya and Sweet Sally, who arrived at the Stockades at noon. Maungu and Ndara seemed little interested in the newcomers, and kept apart the entire day. Kinna approached Mweya and laid her trunk across Mweya's back in friendship. Then Emily and Aitong came to see the two Nairobi babies with excited trumpets and loving rumbles, which Mweya found very daunting and was clearly frightened, trying to escape. Salama and Natumi were very interested in the two babies, and remained close to them for what remained of the day. In the evening Mweya cried in the Night Stockade, which brought Imenti along to have a look and satisfy himself that not too much was amiss. A Keeper remained in the Stockade with the two new babies all night.

24 May 2002

Out in the bush today, the two Nairobi babies remained very close to the Keepers, but Yatta and Kinna kept approaching them, trying to entice them away. Laikipia left the older group to be with the babies, but Tsavo was possessive of Emily and spent the day underneath her. Whenever the two new babies came close to Emily, he pushed them away.

25 May 2002

Sweet Sally clung close to the Keepers all day. Maungu did not want them to get close to her friend Ndara, pushing them away whenever they approached. During the night, Imenti stayed close to the Stockades, looking at the new babies.

26 May 2002

Mweya wanted to play with Lolokwe, entertwining her trunk in his and pulling him. He pulled her softly. Back at the Stockades in the evening, Salama accidentally pushed Mweiga into the drinking trough. Aitong tried to help her out, but had to be assisted by the Keepers.

27 May 2002

Mvita and Nyiro escorted the two new Nairobi babies to the milk tractor at noon, Mvita laying her trunk across Mweya's back whilst she drank. Natumi, Edie and Ilingwezi trumpeted and broke bushes to scare away two zebra. During mudbath, Emily tried to coax the new babies to join in, pouring water and mud over Sally's back using her trunk.

28 May 2002

Mukwaju and Nyiro were very scared when a baboon jumped on the roof of their Night Shelter early this morning, running here and there fearfully. Edie joined Yatta's group and took the two new babies about 100 metres away from the Keepers, but the babies became scared, and came running back, Mweya in the lead. At 11 a.m. Emily joined a wild herd and again began testing her strength with a wild age-mate, whilst Loisaba and Tsavo watched.

29 May 2002

During the mudbath, Laikipia blocked Ilingwezi every time she tried to get in. Later Emily and Imenti had a strength testing competition, which, this time, was won by Emily. Lolokwe was very interested in the new babies this evening, following them into their Section of the Stockade and refusing to leave.