The northern sector of Tsavo East received rain early this year, which was a welcome surprise. and November began with a steady drizzle.
The sky was cloudy in the morning, and it was drizzling when the orphans were let out. Only Makena, Chaimu, Chapa, Maramoja, Pare, and Tusuja joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. The orphans enjoyed feeding on lucerne for quite some time before Naleku led the way to the browsing field.
It was a day without much activity as the orphans concentrated more on browsing, enjoying the cool weather. Kindani, Kinyei, and Bondeni browsed together, while Kuishi teamed up with Esoit and Larro. Lodo, Mukkoka, Roho, and Sattao split from the main herd and browsed a distance away. The four boys returned to join their colleagues at the time of going for the eleven o'clock milk feeds. Olorien led the first group, while Vaarti led the second group.
At mud bath time, the weather was still cool, and the orphans only had their milk, then skipped the wallowing exercise. The orphans headed for water, and later Naleku, Suguroi, and Mayan briefly settled for a soil dusting exercise. In the afternoon, the clouds cleared, giving way to sunshine. The orphans decided to visit the roadside mud bath and thereafter resumed browsing. In the evening, the orphans returned safely to the stockade.
It was drizzling in the morning when the orphans were let out. The orphans settled for lucerne and were shortly joined by the ex-orphans. The drizzles stopped, and the sun shone brightly, indicating a hot day ahead. After having enough lucerne, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. Since it was hot, the orphans looked for areas with trees and settled to browse under them. Bondeni took some time off from feeding to engage Mayan in a strength-testing exercise. Vaarti came to help Mayan, and together they managed to overpower Bondeni. Olorien settled to browse with Lodo, Suguroi, and Kindani, while Roho teamed up with Sattao.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Kinyei led the first group to the mud bath, while Larro led the second group. The sun was hot, and soon after getting their milk, the orphans participated in a cooling-off exercise in the mud and later headed to drink water. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The sun was still hot, and the orphans took a break from feeding and relaxed under trees with cool shade until the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, the orphans passed by the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off exercise before returning to the stockade.
The sky was clear in the morning when the orphans were let out. Only Sidai, Sid, Silas, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, and two wild bulls were present. The fewer ex-orphans and wild elephants there were in the morning, the happier the orphans seemed, as they didn’t have any competition or anyone to bully them. The orphans enjoyed the lucerne for longer before being led away by Kuishi. They settled in the Kone area for browsing. Vaarti found a nice tree to scratch his ear, while Sattao engaged Bondeni in a light strength-testing exercise. Kinyei and Lodo took a break from feeding and relaxed under a tree with good shade.
At eleven o'clock, Suguroi led the first group to the mud bath, while Mayan led the second group. The orphans had their milk and then jumped into the wallowing water for a cooling-off exercise. Larro, Sattao, Mukkoka, and Kuishi skipped the wallowing and headed straight to the water trough to drink. Only two wild bulls showed up at the mud bath, standing a distance away until the orphans finished their activities.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kuishi browsed with her favourite, Esoit, while Suguroi, Mukkoka, Roho, and Olorien briefly visited the roadside mud bath before rejoining their colleagues. In the evening, Vaarti engaged Esoit in a pushing game, which didn’t last long as Kuishi came over and took Esoit away. At five o'clock, the orphans returned safely to the stockade.
Early in the morning, Moe fell into the water trough. Mulika and her team tried repeatedly to help Moe out but eventually gave up, standing around the trough to guard him. Moe’s human family realised he was stuck and quickly sprang into action, lifting him out of the trough.
The orphans had their milk at six o'clock and then walked out to join the ex-orphans. Together, they settled for lucerne before parting ways. Sattao had a disagreement with Naboishu, which escalated into a fight. Naboishu surrendered when Sattao proved to be stronger. Suguroi and Naleku briefly checked on baby Chapa before heading to the browsing field.
At the browsing field, the orphans were joined by Karisa, Galla, Malkia, and Olsekki. As the day progressed, the sun became hot, prompting Roho, Lodo, Olorien, Kinyei, Suguroi, and Mayan to seek shelter under the trees.
At mud bath time, the orphans were joined by Tomboi, who wallowed with them for a while before parting ways. Vaarti went to the water trough and joined two wild bulls for a drink. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kuishi and Esoit took a break to relax under a tree before resuming their browsing. In the evening, the orphans returned safely to the stockade for another night.
Queen's family arrived early in the morning and relaxed outside the stockade, waiting for lucerne distribution. Mulika, Moe, Yatta, Yogi, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, Nasalot, Noah, Nusu, Vuria, Narok, Tumaren, and Tembo arrived shortly after. The orphans were let out soon after taking their morning milk and joined the ex-orphans and Queen's family outside.
Lodo ran into trouble with Noah when he accidentally bumped into him. Noah didn't take it lightly and believed that Lodo had done it intentionally. Noah prepared for "war" and started pushing Lodo as punishment. Lodo was not ready for a fight and so surrendered by walking away. Roho decided to help Lodo by walking behind Noah and pulling his tail. Noah screamed as he ran toward his mother. Roho turned and headed in the opposite direction since he knew very well that Noah had gone to report him to his mother.
Mayan and Vaarti settled to scratch their bellies on their favourite rock and then headed to the browsing field. The two boys rumbled, calling their colleagues to join them. Esoit and Bondeni responded first, then later, the rest of the group followed. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. A baboon passed close by and was spotted by Mukkoka. Mukkoka charged at the baboon, and the baboon disappeared very quickly, leaving Mukkoka feeling happy.
The day was hot, and the orphans browsed calmly as they headed toward the mud bath. After getting their eleven o'clock milk, Lodo and Naleku led their colleagues into wallowing. Two bulls showed up and joined the orphans in wallowing. When the orphans had enough of wallowing, Kuishi led the team to drink water and then for a soil dusting. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill and browsed calmly up to five o'clock in the evening when Kindani led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Shortly after, Sunyei, Siku, Saba, Zurura, and Namalok arrived and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Chaimu, Nabulu, Neshashi, and Malima also followed. Worryingly, Chapa was missing. Normally, Chaimu would let the nannies Naseku, Roi, and Malkia take charge of Chapa, so we thought she had left the baby with the nannies. Later, more ex-orphans showed up at the stockade, including the nannies Roi and Naseku, but Chapa was still not with them.
We spread out in the bush and started looking for groups that had not shown up. We came across our suspect, Kitirua, who is known for "kidnapping" babies, but she was innocent as she didn’t have Chapa with her. Until evening, the only groups we hadn't seen were Mutara, Mulika, and Yatta's families. It rained in the evening, and all the ex-orphans present at the stockade compound, including Chaimu, ran towards Kalovoto. With the onset of the rains, it's not a guarantee we will see the ex-orphans the following day, making it difficult for us to get any news about Chapa.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. The day was extremely hot, and the orphans browsed calmly and under trees as they headed toward the mud bath. After getting their eleven o'clock milk, Naleku, Suguroi, and Lodo led their colleagues into wallowing. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area. As the orphans were preparing to head back to the stockade, it started raining, and the orphans enjoyed the cooling effect brought about by the rain.
It was still wet in the morning following the rains received the previous day. The orphans settled for lucerne briefly, and when it started drizzling, Kuishi led her group to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse at the Kone area. Esoit, Kuishi, Larro, and Lodo took a break from feeding to play with the moist soil. Roho engaged Bondeni in a light strength-testing exercise that ended when Bondeni decided to surrender. The orphans browsed calmly as they slowly headed to the mud bath. The temperatures were low, so no orphan showed interest in wallowing. The orphans had their milk, then headed for drinking water before Naleku led the way back to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. It was a quiet afternoon as the orphans concentrated on browsing without any major events. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
It was a quiet morning. The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. The orphans were joined by Lualeni, who showed up without her babies, Lulu and Lexi. Lualeni enjoyed feeding on lucerne with the orphans and at the same time rumbled, sending signals to her friends asking for her babies' whereabouts. It seemed Lualeni was not getting any response at all, so she decided to walk with the orphans to the browsing field. She later left for an undisclosed location.
The temperatures were moderate, and the sky was obscured by clouds. The orphans concentrated on browsing throughout the entire morning until mud bath time, when Vaarti led the first group to the mud bath. The orphans had their milk, then headed for drinking water, skipping both mud bathing and soil bathing. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill until five o'clock in the evening when Kinyei led the way back to the stockade.
Shortly before dark, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, Neshashi, Makena, Oltaiyoni, Lualeni, Mteto, and Mundusi arrived at the stockade compound. Lualeni had not yet reunited with her babies. We feel sure they are with her friends. Shortly afterward, the group left for an undisclosed location.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. No ex-orphans or wild elephants turned up for lucerne feeding, allowing the orphans to enjoy their freedom with no competition from any outsiders. After having enough lucerne, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. Kinyei came across a fallen tree that she used to scratch her belly. At the browsing field, the orphans were joined by Nasalot, Noah, and Nusu. Later, Kinna, Kaia, Kama, Lualeni, Neshashi, Oltaiyoni, Mteto, and Mundusi passed close by and picked up Nasalot's family. The ex-orphans headed north of Kone area. Roho, Naleku, Mayan, and Lodo tried to follow the ex-orphans but were blocked by the Keepers, who didn’t know the ex-orphans' destination.
The orphans browsed calmly until mud bath time, when Mukkoka led the way to the mud bath. The orphans had their milk, then did a mud bath at nearby water pans that had collected water from the previous day’s rain. Roho, Kuishi, Kindani, and Esoit enjoyed a prolonged mud bath. Shortly afterward, the orphans headed to drink water, and thereafter, Naleku participated in a soil dusting exercise while the rest of the team headed directly to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Mayan teamed up with Vaarti for browsing, while Kuishi settled to browse with Larro and Esoit. Kindani browsed with Kinyei and Bondeni, while Suguroi engaged Lodo in a light pushing game. In the evening, on the way back to the stockade, the orphans were joined by Sapalan and Enkikwe. The two ex-orphans escorted the orphans back to the stockade before disappearing to an undisclosed location.
Mulika, Moe, Yatta, Yetu, Yogi, Yebo, Wendi, Wiva, and Wema showed up in the morning and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Suguroi and Naleku didn’t bother to familiarise themselves with Moe, as they were scared of Mulika. Kuishi and Esoit walked down to the water trough to drink while Mayan settled to scratch on a nearby rock. Later, Vaarti picked Mayan from the scratching rock, and they walked together to the water trough, joining Esoit and Kuishi for a drink. After that, Kindani led the way to the browsing field.
At the browsing field, Bondeni engaged Roho in a strength-testing exercise while Esoit teamed up with Kindani. The orphans browsed in the Kanziku area and had a quiet morning. At eleven o'clock, Olorien led the first group to the midday milk feeds. After taking their milk, the orphans returned to the bush and enjoyed a bush mud bath before resuming browsing. Kuishi and Mayan emerged as the stars of the day for having a prolonged bush mud bath.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kinna, Kama, Kaia, and Makena passed by but didn’t interact much with the orphans. As they were leaving for an undisclosed location, Kuishi, Kinyei, Suguroi, and Larro raised their trunks, waving and bidding them goodbye. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
Several ex-orphans visited the stockade in the morning. The sky was obscured by heavy clouds as the orphans left the stockade and joined the ex-orphans outside. Lucerne was provided and shared by all. Mambo and Mukkoka had a misunderstanding that turned into a pushing game. The game didn’t last long, as Mambo surrendered and ran to his nannies for help. Kuishi had a brief encounter with Barsilinga, which ended when it began to rain. The ex-orphans and wild elephants headed east, while the orphans moved south.
The rain lasted for nearly two hours, and during this time, Larro, Esoit, Sattao, Kuishi, Suguroi, and Lodo enjoyed themselves by rolling in the wet soil. When the rain stopped, the orphans resumed browsing, slowly making their way to the mud bath. At eleven o’clock in the morning, the orphans arrived at the mud bath, had their milk, and then returned to the browsing field. In the afternoon, the sky cleared, allowing the sun to shine through. The orphans browsed calmly until five o’clock in the evening, when Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
It was still wet in the morning following the heavy downpour received the previous day. The orphans settled for lucerne immediately after leaving the stockade. The orphans enjoyed their lucerne for longer since there was no competition, and they don't expect any time soon if the rain continues. After having enough of lucerne, Mayan led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. Mukkoka took a break from feeding to have a game of rolling on the wet ground. Vaarti held a brief meeting with Larro that lasted for quite some time, while Sattao teamed up with Esoit. Roho settled to browse with Mayan, while Kindani browsed with Kinyei.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Suguroi led the first group to the mud bath, while Olorien led the second group. The orphans had their milk, then Naleku, Roho, and Esoit briefly participated in wallowing in the big mud bath, which had seen its water level rise following the previous day’s heavy rain. In the afternoon, Lodo, Naleku, Suguroi, Olorien, Bondeni, and Sattao took a break from browsing to play along the banks of a road where water had collected.
In the evening, on their way back to the stockade, the orphans came across a bush mud bath and all participated in mud bathing. Shortly later, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.
The sky was clear in the morning when the orphans were let out soon after getting their milk. The orphans settled for lucerne. Mayan, Vaarti, and Esoit briefly enjoyed a scratching exercise on the nearby rocks. After having their lucerne, Lodo, Suguroi, Sattao, Kinyei, Kuishi, and Roho walked down to the water trough to drink before heading out to browse.
Just days after the first rain, the vegetation is changing quickly from brown to green. The orphans enjoyed feeding on the new green shoots from the shrubs. Mayan teamed up with Vaarti in browsing. Later, Suguroi, Larro, Lodo, Roho, and Naleku came across a bush mud bath and took some time off from browsing to have fun in the mud. Vaarti, Esoit, and Bondeni took a break from feeding to relax under a tree that offered a nice shade.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Kindani led the first group for their milk, then they returned to the browsing field. The afternoon was quiet, and the orphans browsed calmly throughout the remaining part of the day without any major observations.
The sky was clear in the morning as the orphans left the stockade and settled for lucerne. Naleku shared her pile of lucerne with Mayan, while Sattao shared his with Kindani. Later, Mayan settled to scratch against a nearby rock as Kuishi led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans headed to the Kone area and later visited the Kone dam, which now has water, and settled to drink the rainwater. Shortly after, Lodo led Kuishi, Bondeni, Vaarti, Suguroi, and Esoit into a bush mud bath. By the end, they were all looking red after smearing themselves with red mud. The orphans continued to enjoy the green shoots coming as a result of the current rains.
At mud bath time, the orphans only had their milk and then headed back to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Kindani had a light pushing game with Esoit, which ended when Kuishi came over and picked her. In the evening, the orphans returned safely to the stockade.
It was wet in the morning following rains received early before dawn. The orphans left the stockade soon after having their morning milk. They settled for lucerne and were thereafter led to the browsing field by Naleku. Larro and Olorien enjoyed sipping water collected on a rock, while Vaarti browsed with Mayan. Then, the weather changed abruptly, and it started raining. Lodo, Kindani, Roho, and Kinyei enjoyed playing in the running water.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, the rain stopped, and Vaarti led the way for the noon bottle feeds. The ground was slippery, and the orphans walked carefully. Olorien wasn't so lucky as she slipped and fell on the ground. She felt embarrassed but composed herself and stood up.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The clouds cleared, giving way to sunshine. Later in the evening, the clouds gathered again, and around four o'clock, it started raining heavily. Kuishi, Esoit, Mukkoka, and Larro dodged the Keepers and headed towards the Imenti area. When it was time to return to the stockades, the four orphans could not be traced. Some Keepers took the eleven present orphans back to the stockade, while others continued the search. They were mostly concerned about Esoit, as Kuishi, Larro, and Mukkoka had made away with him.
Shortly before seven o'clock in the evening, the four orphans were located and walked back to the stockade.
The sky was clear in the morning as the orphans settled for lucerne immediately after leaving the stockade. Mayan headed to his favourite spot for a scratching session. Kuishi shared her pile of lucerne with Esquit, while Lodo shared his with Roho. The orphans enjoyed their lucerne for nearly an hour before being led to the browsing field by Larro.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. Mayan paired up with Vaarti, while Larro browsed alongside Mukkoka. Later, the group came across a bush mud bath, which they used to splash water behind their ears before proceeding to their midday milk feeds.
By eleven o'clock, the sun was hot. The orphans had their milk and then jumped into the large mud bath to cool off. Many biting flies brought by the rains were bothering them. After wallowing, the orphans ran into another bush mud bath, where they applied a thick layer of mud on themselves for temporary relief from the flies.
In the afternoon, the orphans browsed calmly until five o'clock, when Kindani led the group back to the stockade.
The sky was clear in the morning. The orphans had their milk, then walked out to start their day. Kuishi shared her pile of lucerne with Esoit, while Sattao shared it with Naleku. An hour later, Suguroi decided that she had enough lucerne and walked down to have water before leading the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area and had a quiet morning. Sattao, Mukkoka, Lodo, and Roho browsed a distance away from their colleagues, while Kinyei, Bondeni, and Kindani browsed together. The temperatures were moderate, and the orphans enjoyed the greens brought about by the current rains. Later, Roho engaged Esoit in a pushing game that didn't last long, as Esoit surrendered and walked to join his big sister, Kuishi.
At mud bath time, the orphans had their milk, then water, before heading back to the browsing field. The orphans skipped the wallowing exercise since they now have so many places to do it whenever they feel the need. In the afternoon, Vaarti, Mayan, Bondeni, and Kindani took a break from feeding to have a game of rolling on the ground just for fun.
In the evening, the orphans returned safely to the stockade for yet another night.
It was a quiet morning when the babies woke up to have their milk before heading out to feed on lucerne. They looked active and enjoyed the lucerne peacefully without any disturbance from the ex-orphans or wild elephants. After finishing, they walked to the bush to browse.
In the bush, they appeared restless due to the presence of tsetse flies in the area. The flies were more prevalent because of the recent rains, causing the orphans to run around, trying to escape the irritation. Later, they made their way to the mud bath.
At the mud bath, they had their milk and then attempted to enjoy the mud wallow. Afterward, they moved to the water trough for a drink before heading straight back to the bush to continue browsing.
In the bush, they remained busy browsing, though the persistent tsetse flies continued to bother them, making them quite restless. In the evening, the orphans returned to the stockades for their milk bottles. No ex-orphans or wild elephants were spotted in the area today.
It was such a beautiful and quiet morning, with the babies first feeding on their milk bottles before walking out to enjoy lucerne. There were no other elephants around, as they all seem to have disappeared since the rains began. After feeding on lucerne, the orphans walked out to the bush to browse.
In the bush, they were busy browsing until 11 o’clock, when they started walking to the mud bath for their milk bottles again.
At the mud bath, the orphans all enjoyed their milk before heading to the big dam to cool down their body temperatures. Some walked to the dust piles and enjoyed a dust bath. The entire group later moved back to the bush for evening browsing.
In the bush, everyone was busy trying to find something to eat before it was time to head home. They enjoyed the evening browsing and then walked back to the stockades for the night, with Vaarti in the lead as always. There was no rain today, but it is very humid, so we hope to have more soon.
Such a beautiful and cold morning today. The babies woke up early, and eagerly lined up for their milk bottles. Once finished, they walked out to feed on lucerne. With no ex-orphans or wild elephants around, the babies peacefully enjoyed their lucerne before heading to the bush to browse.
Out in the bush, the landscape is becoming much greener. The orphans are loving all the fresh browse. They happily grazed on the lush vegetation before making their way to the mud bath for their midday milk bottles.
At the mud bath, they drank their milk before heading straight to drink water and then to the mud hole for wallowing. Many of the babies enjoyed wallowing, but they skipped the dust bath and instead rolled on the ground to dry off. Sattao was particularly playful, making everyone smile. Afterward, the group moved back into the bush for more browsing.
Later in the bush, they stumbled upon another waterhole where Suguroi and Lodo started playing. Some of their friends joined in the fun, splashing and rolling in the water. As evening approached, the babies began walking back home for their milk bottles and bedtime.
There were no other elephants around today. Although the day was cloudy, there was no rain.
It was a quiet, wet morning. We woke up early and found it raining, which continued until 7 am. We had to feed the babies in the rain, as they started complaining. As usual, lucerne was laid out outside, but the soggy conditions made it difficult to enjoy much. The orphans picked at the lucerne and then headed to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, everyone enjoyed the rain and had a great time playing in the mud. Esoit and Roho started play-fighting, while Kindani rolled in the mud. Lodo also rolled around, his feet in the air, before the babies went to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
At the mud bath, they drank their milk and walked to the waterhole. It ended up being more of a dip than a swim, as the water was too cold for their liking. They came out and went back to the bush for more browsing.
In the bush, everyone stayed active, with many playing in the road side mud bath. They had a very long wallowing session before heading back home in the evening.
In total, we recorded 70 mm of rainfall in the area today.
It was a beautiful morning as the babies woke up to find their milk ready. The ground was very wet from last night’s 45mm rainfall. After finishing their milk, the babies walked out to feed on lucerne. A group led by Nasalot joined them, with Nusu and Noah among the group. Mundusi, a friend of Nusu, was also present. Mwende was there too, accompanied by her baby Mala and her brother Mkuu.
The babies didn’t spend much time at the lucerne field and soon headed out to the bush for browsing. Out in the bush, everything was lush and green, but amusingly, the babies seemed more restless than usual. Despite the abundance of food, they kept walking long distances, as if believing there was better food ahead. Suguroi and Larro were seen browsing together in the bush.
At mud bath time, the babies had their milk as usual and then drank water. With no particular interest in wallowing, they returned to the bush for more browsing.
The babies seemed very active, with some enjoying playing in the mud. Kuishi stayed close to Esoit, continuing to care for him. As evening approached, the orphans started their journey back home for their evening milk and bedtime. We got another 45mm of rainfall today.
It was a bright morning with all the babies waking up to find the milk ready for them. They had their bottles of milk and immediately walked out to feed on lucerne. Mayan was seen scratching his bottom on a rock while Lodo was busy stretching and scratching his stomach on a different rock. Later, Vaarti and Mayan led the group to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, it was very quiet with only the babies present; there were no ex-orphans or wild elephants around. Vaarti played by rolling on the ground and later started kissing his best friend, Mayan. Lodo, on the other side, enjoyed a mud bath in a small waterhole. Larro was busy rolling on the ground with Naleku separately. Esoit came near Kuishi, and they started playing together. The two later joined Naleku and started playing together. The babies later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
At the mud bath, the babies had their milk bottles and went into the water for wallowing. They played for some minutes, with Roho enjoying a free lift from Bondeni in the water. They later walked out and headed to the bush.
Back in the bush, it started raining while the elephants were busy browsing. Later, the babies walked back home for their milk bottles and bed. No wild or ex-orphans were seen around today. We recorded 15mm of rainfall today.
It was a beautiful morning today, with the babies starting their day with their milk bottles before walking out to feed on lucerne. They enjoyed a peaceful morning, as there were no ex-orphans or wild elephants around. As usual, Vaarti scratched his neck on the wall pavements while the rest were busy feeding on lucerne. The babies later walked to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, all the babies were busy enjoying the green pastures. Suguroi, our athlete, started doing her morning exercises. The babies later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles again.
At the mud bath, the babies had their milk bottles, drank water, and then headed back to the bush for browsing. Along the way, they came to the road and started playing in the mud. Mayan fully rolled in the mud for fun, while Vaarti had a good time playing with Esoit.
Back in the bush, everyone was busy browsing. Larro was especially enjoying the browse today. She stretched high to reach the greenest bits. The babies later walked back home for their milk bottles and bed.
We had a little rainfall today, measuring 7mm in the morning hours.
It was a beautiful and cold morning. The babies woke up to find their milk ready for them and they were so happy and excited as they waited to be fed. Bondeni, the notorious noise-maker, trumpeted loudly and pushed his girlfriends, Kindani and Kinyei, when he saw the bottles coming.
In the field, the babies enjoyed the lucerne peacefully, as there were no ex-orphans or wild elephants around. They later walked to the bush for browsing. In the bush, they enjoyed browsing despite the mud everywhere from the early morning rain. The babies later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
At the mud bath, they all had their share of milk, with Esoit and Larro, as usual, enjoying self-service. Kindani and Suguroi ran fast for their bottles. Once everyone had their share, they moved into the mud wallow. Suguroi and Olerien enjoyed the wallowing, while Naleku and Larro were separately digging into the mud and spraying it on their bodies. Roho enjoyed a free ride from Suguroi while wallowing. Afterward, the babies walked back to the bush for more browsing.
In the bush, it was very green, and everyone enjoyed the browse. Kuishi rolled in the mud with lots of energy, which attracted the attention of her adopted baby, Esoit. The other orphans were busy playing in the mud along the road. Larro and Sattao also displayed their playful styles in the mud. Mukkoka and Lodo began playfighting before the group started their journey back home in the evening.
No ex-orphans or wild elephants were around today. We recorded 16mm of rainfall.
It was so lovely this morning after we received some ex-orphans in the stockades today. After waking up early at 5 am, the Keepers found three visitors waiting outside: Oltaiyoni, Mteto, and Neshashi. They came to say hi to their friends. The babies were happy to see them, excitedly pointing their trunks towards the ex-orphans. They had their milk quickly and walked out to join them.
The babies looked more active and started sharing the lucerne being served by the Keepers. They really loved it. When the herd started walking to the bush for browsing, and the trio followed them. They stayed with the babies the whole morning and even walked with them to the mud bath.
At the mud bath, the babies were very active, having fun with the trio in the waterhole. Roho was riding on Lodo. Oltaiyoni started digging into the soil while playing, splashing it on her back. The babies later walked back to the bush for browsing until evening, when they returned to the stockades for their milk and bed. No rain today, but the weather is good with greens everywhere.
It was so beautiful this morning as the babies had their share of milk bottles and walked out to feed on lucerne. They enjoyed a relaxed morning because there were not as many visitors as usual.
Out in the bush, the babies enjoyed the browsing as it was green everywhere. The only downside are the tsetse flies, which now bother them every day. The babies later walked to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
At the mud bath, they were served their milk bottles and were fully satisfied. Esoit was enjoying self-service. The babies went into the mud bath. They enjoyed themselves, with Esoit and Roho having the most spirited time wallowing. They later walked out and started playing in the dust. Esoit and Kuishi were fully enjoying the dust bath together.
Back in the bush, the babies were fully relaxed after their milk bottles. Some were hiding under the shade. They later came out and started browsing for some time before walking back home in the evening for their bottles and bed.
Back in the stockades, we had Nasalot with Nusu and Noah, accompanied by Enkikwe and Mundusi. They stayed for a short time in the stockades and then walked away. No rain today.
It was such an interesting morning as the babies woke up to find their milk ready for them. They had their bottles of milk and later walked out to feed on lucerne. They were so happy to be alone, but after a few minutes, Yatta with her baby Yogi, Mulika with her baby Moe, Nasalot with her babies Nusu and Noah, together with Mundusi and Enkikwe, arrived. They accompanied the babies during the feeding of lucerne. The babies later walked to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, they all looked more active and busy browsing. Sattao, Olorien, and Roho were browsing together, while Kindani and Bondeni were browsing separately. Suguroi started kissing Bondeni while browsing, and the babies later began walking to the mud bath for their milk bottles again.
At the mud bath, the babies had their milk bottles and later started playing in the waterholes around the mud bath. Roho and Bondeni were playing together, Mayan and Lodo were browsing together, while Kindani and Suguroi were busy browsing separately. Later, the babies walked back home in the evening. No rain today, but there are still signs of it.
It was a beautiful morning as the babies woke up early for their milk bottles to start the day. They had their milk bottles and walked out to feed on lucerne. They were so happy, enjoying the lucerne peacefully without any other elephants around. They later walked to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, they all looked more active, with everyone enjoying the fresh green browse. The babies later started walking toward the mud bath for their milk and swimming.
At the mud bath, they enjoyed their milk and then walked to the waterhole for swimming. They had a good swim, but Olorien found a small waterhole with warm water and started playing in it. The rest of the babies enjoyed wallowing in the big dam before walking back to the bush to browse again. Sattao, however, went to the dust bath and started playing after the mud bath. Kuishi was happily rolling on the edge of the dam after swimming in the main pool. She really enjoyed rolling on the ground, making the show slightly more lively! The rest were already in the bush, busy browsing.
Back in the bush, they were all occupied with the green pastures that are everywhere and later walked back home in the evening. There was no rain today, and no ex-orphans or wild elephants came to the stockades or mud bath. All the babies are doing well and are fine.
It was a wonderful morning as the babies awaited their milk. They enjoyed their bottles and quickly made their way out to the field for lucerne feeding. The orphans relished the lucerne without any interruptions from ex-orphans or wild elephants. After finishing, they headed out to the bush for browsing.
In the bush, the babies browsed happily, with Roho and Esoit engaging in a playful tussle. The group gathered at one spot and browsed together, while Naleku and Kindani had a conversation of their own. Later, they made their way to the mud bath for their milk bottles.
At the mud bath, Bondeni enjoyed self-service feeding before jumping into the mud to play. He drank slowly, as he always does, reminding us why we have nicknamed him the ‘slow drinker.’ Mayan had a great time wallowing, joined by Larro, Esoit, and Suguroi. After some fun, the orphans returned to the bush for their afternoon browsing session.
In the bush, the babies remained active and browsed enthusiastically. Some, including Suguroi, Mukkoka, Sattao, and Kindani, discovered a small waterhole and had fun splashing and playing in it. As evening approached, the orphans began their journey back home for their milk bottles.
Everyone is doing well, with no signs of rain at the moment.