The early part of the month was dominated by finding enough browse to fill the orphans’ bellies, mainly up Mazinga Hill. Morani and Burra fell out after a disagreement which appears to have been on the 4th, after which Morani bore a grudge against Burra, who, in fact, is older. Nevertheless this grudge endured until 10th, with Morani trying to pick a fight at every opportunity, and Burra avoiding confrontation, until the 11th when Morani engaged Burra during their milk feed, and the Keepers had to separate them. Thereafter, the quarrel seems to have been settled!

Prior to the onset of the rains, which began on the 7th and persisted sporadically throughout the month, most of the games entailed races to the milk bottles, Solango and Seraa the main contestants, joined by Thoma and Burra, who were overtaken by Mpala, much to their chagrin. Rain brought on a new flush of fresh green shoots, which were greatly relished by the orphans, as were the puddles and the mud, in which they love playing, slipping and sliding down inclines, and racing each other around wet anthills.

Emily came alone to join the orphans at 2 p.m. on the 5th, where she was greeted with great joy, all the youngsters rumbling, milling around in circles, and urinating with excitement, and Morani resting his head lovingly against Emily’s rump. Natumi, however, was more restrained, greeting Emily in a “calm and dignified” manner, befitting her elevated status as the new Matriarch in Emily’s absence. That day Loisaba, Tsavo and Salama, were tempted to follow Emily when she left, but decided to come back and rejoin the others l0 minutes later. Emily returned again to the stockade alone on the 6th, and on the 12th, she was at the Stockade Gates at first light, ready to escort the orphans to the North side of the hill, where the browse was more lush.. On that day, strangely enough, she singled out Salama and Loisaba and took them ahead of all the others to the mudbath. She left with them, but the two returned to rejoin their orphaned peers 20 minutes later.

On the 17th, whilst feeding up the hill, only Tsavo chose to fraternise with a wild herd that was feeding nearby. He remained with them when the others returned for the night and was out all night. At first light, the Keepers went to make sure that he was still in one piece, and were surprised to spot him with Emily, Aitong and Sweet Sally higher up the hill. Salama, who is Tsavo’s best friend, was very disturbed by his absence, and spent most of the following day searching for him, visibly so upset that he was even reluctant to return with the others in the evening.

The next day Emily, Aitong, Sweet Sally and Tsavo were spotted by the Keepers in amongst a small wild herd on the pipeline road below the hill, and that evening they all turned up at the Stockade at 9 p.m. where they hung around for a while before heading out again. This consoled Salama who could see that his friend was in good hands, or, shall we say, “trunks” and thereafter he seems to have accepted the fact that Tsavo, like Sweet Sally, has made the transition. He has, after all, always been one of Emily’s special favourites.

Other species encounters this month include coming across a pair of hunting leopards on Mazinga Hill, whose quarry were some fleeing waterbuck. Although only the Keepers spotted the retreating leopards, the fleeing waterbuck prompted the usual bush bashing on behalf of the orphaned group. Another scarey encounter was a “clicking sound” made by the hooves of two warring kudu bulls, which sent the orphans off in all directions. It took the Keepers some time to round them all up again! Mweya and Ndara couldn’t resist chasing a flock of guineafowl drinking at their waterhole, and once the birds had taken to the air, raced back to plunge into the pool, “showing off” in front of all the others!

Emily came alone to join the orphans at 2 p.m. on the 5th, where she was greeted with great joy, all the youngsters rumbling, milling around in circles, and urinating with excitement, and Morani resting his head lovingly against Emily’s rump. Natumi, however, was more restrained, greeting Emily in a “calm and dignified” manner, befitting her elevated status as the new Matriarch in Emily’s absence. That day Loisaba, Tsavo and Salama, were tempted to follow Emily when she left, but decided to come back and rejoin the others l0 minutes later. Emily returned again to the stockade alone on the 6th, and on the 12th, she was at the Stockade Gates at first light, ready to escort the orphans to the North side of the hill, where the browse was more lush.. On that day, strangely enough, she singled out Salama and Loisaba and took them ahead of all the others to the mudbath. She left with them, but the two returned to rejoin their orphaned peers 20 minutes later.

On the 17th, whilst feeding up the hill, only Tsavo chose to fraternise with a wild herd that was feeding nearby. He remained with them when the others returned for the night and was out all night. At first light, the Keepers went to make sure that he was still in one piece, and were surprised to spot him with Emily, Aitong and Sweet Sally higher up the hill. Salama, who is Tsavo’s best friend, was very disturbed by his absence, and spent most of the following day searching for him, visibly so upset that he was even reluctant to return with the others in the evening.

The next day Emily, Aitong, Sweet Sally and Tsavo were spotted by the Keepers in amongst a small wild herd on the pipeline road below the hill, and that evening they all turned up at the Stockade at 9 p.m. where they hung around for a while before heading out again. This consoled Salama who could see that his friend was in good hands, or, shall we say, “trunks” and thereafter he seems to have accepted the fact that Tsavo, like Sweet Sally, has made the transition. He has, after all, always been one of Emily’s special favourites.

Other species encounters this month include coming across a pair of hunting leopards on Mazinga Hill, whose quarry were some fleeing waterbuck. Although only the Keepers spotted the retreating leopards, the fleeing waterbuck prompted the usual bush bashing on behalf of the orphaned group. Another scarey encounter was a “clicking sound” made by the hooves of two warring kudu bulls, which sent the orphans off in all directions. It took the Keepers some time to round them all up again! Mweya and Ndara couldn’t resist chasing a flock of guineafowl drinking at their waterhole, and once the birds had taken to the air, raced back to plunge into the pool, “showing off” in front of all the others!