Following a very dry October, the new month opened with the glorious arrival of rainfall in the Kibwezi Forest.
Quanza and Amali disappeared for hours. The Keepers couldn’t figure out where they had gone to hide, and none of the others could tell where they’d wandered off to. Amali was lucky to be taken to a green, lush area away from her friends, where she and Quanza found a big acacia tree that had been pulled down by a strong wind. They celebrated by feasting on it, while the other orphans remained unaware. However, Kapei caught the scent and, along with Kiombo and Kiasa, led the other orphans to Quanza and Amali’s private feast.
Murera and Enkesha brought Mwana over to Amali. When Mwana spotted her, she rushed to see her — she loves Amali like her elder sister. Amali rolled her little trunk around Mwana’s neck, showing her affection for the young baby girl. Later, Amali escorted Mwana to the branches to get her own little bites to enjoy. Sonje joined them with Faraja and Alamaya, who came from the Chyulu Hills. A late-arriving wild herd of females with two babies also joined the orphans, but their mother kept Kiasa and Lima Lima at a distance, not allowing them close to the babies. She was cautious, fearing that the orphans might try to whisk the babies away.
Today was a wonderful day: At last, it rained, catching the animals and elephants off guard. Little babies Mwana and Amali tried to run back to the stockades, but they couldn’t convince Murera to agree with their plan to return. When Mwana moved to her mother, Murera thought she wanted to nurse from her, but Mwana kept pushing her to move. When Murera realised what Mwana wanted, Murera pushed her aside to discipline her and teach her to behave. This didn’t sit well with Mwana, who screamed in dissatisfaction, but Murera ignored her and moved away. Despite the rain, the whole herd followed Murera’s lead into the forest, and Mwana had no choice but to follow suit.
The herd listened to where Murera and Sonje decided to take them, which was up to the Chyulu Hills. The shrubs were very wet, so Mwana walked carefully to avoid stepping on the slick mud. Enkesha and Kiasa walked on either side of her, slowly guiding the baby up the slippery path.
Since it rained a few days ago, the orphans were in a hurry to find new, fresh greens. They haven’t sprouted yet, but that didn’t stop the orphans from trying. They have stopped wallowing now that many water pans are full, making it easy to cool off whenever they want.
Mwana and Amali had some baby playtime together, with Amali trying to teach Mwana how to play the pushing games. Mwana showed her strength, and Amali found that Mwana had lots of energy, pushing her without tiring. Amali got bored when Kapei tried to join them, and Mwana wasn’t happy to see Kapei around, knowing he can be rough and isn’t good at playing with younger babies like herself.
Today, the orphans didn’t run for their milk bottles as they usually do. This was especially unusual for Kapei and Enkesha, who often start running as soon as they spot the bottles lined up. Today, however, they slowly walked in, likely due to the heat. Murera was the last to arrive with her Keepers behind her; she walked slowly, as if she wasn’t very interested in her bottle today.
A bushbuck came along the way and tried to walk in front of Mwashoti, who then opened his trunk to trumpet and charged at the bushbuck. This seemed to spark everyone to start charging at the bushbuck until the small antelope ran out of sight from the orphans.
A yellow fever tree came down after a strong wind pushed it over, and the impact scared the elephants who were resting in its shade. When the tree fell, all the elephants scattered in different directions — but as soon as it was down, the orphans flocked back to it, excited to celebrate the fresh, sweet branches they could now enjoy. It was hard to move them away from the tree, as they were all happily feeding on the branches in the afternoon. Kapei, along with Kiombo and Faraja, tried to push out the little girls, but Sonje and the other head girls stood their ground. They gave the little girls right of way, ensuring the boys were the ones who had to leave the spot.
Later, before the day ended, Faraja, Jasiri, and Alamaya, together with a wild herd that had adopted them, came to visit the orphans while they were still browsing in the bushes. When it was time to return home, the wild herd walked in the company of the orphans. Kiasa spotted a wild baby and attempted to bring her over to join Mwana and Amali, but ran into difficulties with her mother. The mother became too aggressive when she realised Kiasa’s plan and chased her away.
Kapei became greedy when he came and found Mwana and Amali peacefully having their meal at the pellets. He went to pull Amali by her tail, then turned to push the baby Mwana. This ended his chance to eat close to the little ones. Quanza intervened, and then Mwana's mother stepped in, asserting her authority as the head girl. Kapei, realising he was in trouble, retreated into the bushes, leaving Murera to get close to her baby and the little nanny, Amali. Later, Enkesha joined Mwana, and the herd moved to Kenzili for more greens and some peace.
Some monkeys followed little Mwana and Amali, but the elephants' defence was tight. The monkeys climbed to the tops of the trees in fear as the elephants began to charge and blow loud trumpets to ensure the interlopers would not return and bother the little ones.
It started with a good morning today. Before midday, some wild elephants passed by the bushes where the orphans had settled to take a break and browse. Murera was not comfortable with the wild herd around her group and took the little babies a short distance away. Kiasa and Enkesha blocked anyone from trying to get close to Mwana, while Amali stuck to her ‘little sister’ like glue. Murera and Sonje stood close to provide extra protection.
Meanwhile, Kiombo, Kapei, Maktao, and Mwashoti did not follow the girls’ group, thinking they were ‘big brothers’ and could get along with the wild herd. This proved to be a miscalculation, as the wild herd were not very welcoming. When Mwashoti, the eldest brother, let out a scream, Kiombo realised things had taken a turn and quickly made his way back to the girls. Maktao also followed, and soon all the boys were running to Murera and Sonje.
Zongoloni and Quanza arrived to check on the babies. However, they found that little Amali, who despite being a young elephant has promising leadership qualities, had things under control with regards to Mwana. She brought the baby to safety, and Zongoloni found them happily settled under Murera’s protection.
Mwana, with her trusted little nanny Amali, ventured into the bushes alone. They assumed they were big girls and needed no escort from the head girls. Kapei spotted them going far and was curious, so he decided to follow them. However, Mwana turned back, trying to block Kapei from joining their private mission. Kapei recognised a losing mission returned to Kiombo and Maktao for their usual play-pushing games.
Meanwhile, Kiasa and Quanza decided to bring the baby back to the herd. They frogmarched Mwana and Amali back, reminding them that they are still young girls and need supervision.
In the afternoon, it began pouring rain just as the elephants reached the top of the Umani Hills. The moment the rain started, a tree fell, causing the orphans to run from the hills in fear. All the babies retreated to flat ground, but they remained unsettled by the incident. Later, Sonje and Quanza took them back to the fallen tree, so they could enjoy feasting upon it.
This morning, all the elephants emerged from their stockades very happy and ready for their new day out in the bushes. Everything was beginning to turn green after the past days’ rains.
It started raining again just as the elephants arrived at the hills. They encountered a wild herd with babies, which attracted Mwana. The wild herd welcomed the orphans — so much that they led them away, far into the hills.
Once the rain stopped, the Keepers set about bringing the orphans over to the feeding point. However, the wild herd wanted their orphan friends to remain with them. Even Mwana didn’t want to return after finding an age-mate within the wild herd. The orphan group and the wild herd had merged and become one for the morning. The Keepers decided to leave them alone until they were ready to come back on their own.
The orphans skipped their midday milk bottles and didn’t return until late in the evening. Only Kiombo and Maktao reported back at home-time. The other five milk-dependents did not come back until 8 p.m., waiting at the gates and noisily demanding their bottles.
The Keepers had to prepare two bottles for each elephant to make up for the missed feeding times and to keep them happy. Even Quanza, who escorted Murera and the babies safely back home, was given a bottle as a thank-you reward for her help.
The nightclubbers didn’t show up this morning as they usually do. The orphans came out looking for them, with Amali, Kiasa, and Mwana searching around to see if they could spot Sonje, Quanza, Lima Lima, and Zongoloni, but they didn’t see them. The Keepers hoped they would all appear by mud bath time, but only Quanza showed up.
Quanza tried to take her place next to Mwana, but Murera worried that she might let her baby wander too far. Murera stood between Quanza and Mwana, giving only Amali, Kiasa, and Enkesha the freedom to walk with her baby.
Meanwhile, Kapei and Kiombo joined Maktao to get some distance from the head girls so they could have their own space to play. Kapei started the game by climbing on Kiombo, and then Maktao took his turn. But with two elephants on top of him, Kiombo quickly became overwhelmed. Seizing a brief window of opportunity, he ran to hide in the bushes. Maktao followed him, while Kapei, who had been warned by Kiombo, shyly stayed back.
Lima Lima, Sonje, Zongoloni, and Mwashoti have been away for a few days, enjoying the green forest after the rains. Quanza enjoys looking after Mwana, but because she was distracted by the baby, she lost track of her friends.
Today, only Quanza arrived. She escorted the younger babies to the waterhole after they had their bottles. She tried to swim with Mwana and Amali, but the girls were pushed aside by Kiombo and Maktao, who were competing for more swimming space. Unfortunately, Kiombo bumped into Mwana’s leg, causing her to cry out loudly. Both Quanza and Murera rushed over to find out why Mwana was making such a noise, but the two boys had already run off, knowing they’d be in trouble with Murera.
After their midday bottles and mud bath, the babies moved back to the bushes to find shade. They waited for the sun to cool down before resuming their browsing.
When it was time to head home in the evening, Quanza took the lead to the stockade. Once the orphans were settled in their stockades, Quanza lingered by the fence, hoping her friends might join her, but Lima Lima and her team did not return. The Keepers sympathised with Quanza and allowed her into the stockade, where she shared a room with Kiombo. At first, Kiombo wasn’t thrilled to share his room with an older girl, but he eventually accepted his roomate. Quanza and Kiombo spent the night peacefully together.
Since Quanza lost track of her nightclubber friends, she has remained with the dependent herd, taking on the role of older nanny. The Keepers always give her fresh lucerne to make her feel welcome. Today, she was given even more lucerne, which she enjoyed alone outside the fence line, taking her time without any hurry.
As Quanza ate, some baboons tried to enter her area, but she stood firm, trumpeting loudly to drive them away. Before dusk, two buffalos also approached, but Quanza was defensive and wouldn’t let them near. The buffalos didn’t really need her lucerne anyway, as green grass is already sprouting after recent rains.
Later, noise came from the forest along the Umani Springs. At first, we thought it might be Lima Lima and her team coming back, but it turned out to be a wild herd celebrating as they swam in the springs.
Lima Lima, Zongoloni, Sonje, and Mwashoti had been away for awhile, leaving Quanza the only nightclubber in attendance the past few days. But this morning, everyone assembled at the gate, ready and demanding the orphans to come out and join them. When she saw Murera, Sonje made a welcoming screaming sound, as if they had not seen each other in weeks, instead of days.
Baby Mwana was immediately embraced by the very joyful girls, who had missed her dearly. Sonje, Zongoloni, and Lima Lima almost got into a fight, as each of them demanded to breastfeed the baby. Mwana first went to Lima Lima, but Zongoloni pushed her aside to make way for herself. Sonje was not happy about Zongoloni’s actions and took Mwana away. Before long, Mwana dodged her and returned to Lima Lima — she is producing more milk, which makes Mwana very happy.
After all the pushing and competing over the baby, Mwana played a big trick on the older nannies by heading back to her mother for proper nursing, leaving everyone else stranded and unsure of what to do next. Sonje and Mwashoti eventually led the group to where Murera was standing with the other young orphans.
In the afternoon, the entire herd went to Chyulu. Greens have started shooting up since the rain that fell some days back, and all the animals are now enjoying the fresh food along the Kibwezi Forest and Chyulu Hills. Everyone is happy and joyful. Little Amali and the greedy Kapei especially enjoy the abundant food.
The orphans came out of their bedtime stockades to join the nightclubbers, who were already waiting for them by the gate. Sonje promptly grabbed Mwana from Kiasa. This upset Kiasa, but there was nothing she could do to stop the matriarch from taking the baby. Mwana seemed happy to move around with Sonje.
Several buffaloes approached the open fields, looking to enjoy the fresh grass that had sprouted there. The nannies made a blockade around Mwana to prevent her from going near them, as it could have been dangerous. Murera made her baby call, which prompted Amali to bring Mwana to her as Murera wanted.
Later, the elephants moved to the Kenzili area for more browsing. As they walked toward the rocks, they spotted klipspringers watching them from the rocky lava area. Kapei stopped and tried to scare them by waving his trunk. This caused the small antelope to run away, but it also startled Kapei and sent him dashing back to the herd.
The elephants found plenty of food at the top of the Kenzili hills. They were having such a nice time that it was difficult to call them down to return home. The Keepers spent hours calling Enkesha and Kiasa in the hope they would lead the herd back with Murera and her friends, but the elephants remained focused on eating until it got dark.
Around midnight, the orphans returned and stood behind the stockades, demanding their milk bottles, which they had missed in the evening. Murera was the closest to the gate and was the first to enter the stockades before the rest were allowed in.
Alamaya and his wild friends arrived from the Umnai Hills and joined the orphans. One of his adopted mothers kept a close eye on Sonje and Lima Lima, who went to greet their old friend. The mother seemed to think they were trying to convince Alamaya to leave with them and became uneasy about the situation.
When Alamaya realised that his adopted mother was watching closely and waiting for him to leave, he decided to walk away for the sake of peace. He didn’t want his mother to become upset. After parting ways with Lima Lima and her group, Alamaya returned to the Chyulu, where many of his wild friends were trumpeting and charging at trees, celebrating the fresh greens now sprouting after the rains.
Kapei and Kiombo began playing and sparring when Maktao happened to pass by them. Kapei mischievously pulled Mkatao’s tail, prompting Maktao to turn back to confront him. Kapei quickly fled, knowing he might be punished by Maktao for his prank. When Mkatao couldn’t find Kapei after a long search, he returned to Kiombo, hoping to play with him instead. Unfortunately, Kiombo wasn’t in the mood for pushing games, so Maktao eventually gave up and joined Faraja and Jasiri for browsing in the Chyulu area.
It was a very cold morning today following the night’s rainfall, which left the earth wet and slippery. Despite the chilly weather, the orphans were full of energy, with Mwana appearing strong and happy to start her day with her friends. The Keepers dressed warmly in extra layers and rain boots to help navigate the slick terrain as the elephants headed to the Umani Springs for their morning browsing session.
Amali and Kiasa led the herd, with Murera and her baby nursing briefly before following them to the springs. Sonje crossed to the dry land on the far side of the springs, leaving Murera and Mwashoti behind. Crossing proved challenging for little Mwana, so Sonje and the others returned to assist her. Some crocodiles were watching their crossing, but they did not pose a real threat.
Quanza returned to Mwashoti, who was cleaning his toes on a rock often used by Lima Lima as her ‘pedicure station’ when preparing for her outings. Mwashoti had a brief discussion with Quanza before heading to the Kibwezi Forest for the rest of the day.
While on their way, Mwashoti and Quanza spotted some white butterflies and started running after them. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t catch any, and Quanza grew tired. She retreated to the shade, where she joined Kiombo, who was playing under the trees. The two rested together, waiting for the sun to cool down before heading out for more browsing in the Chyulu area.
When the babies returned for their midday milk feeding, those who have been weaned off the bottles did not come to the feeding point but took another direction toward the waterhole. Lima Lima and her friends got a head start on swimming, leaving Kiasa and Murera to bring the babies to their bottles.
Before the orphans arrived for their bottles, seven male buffaloes invaded the open field grazing near the feeding ground. Kapei, Amali, and Mwana didn’t give the buffaloes time to settle. Kapei, with the support of his little friends, chased the buffaloes away. Mwana blew her little trunk with great force, trying to scare the buffaloes off. Their mission was successful — the buffaloes had miscalculated and found no peace until they left, as Murera and her team demanded their departure.
After the buffalo dilemma, the orphans moved into the bushes. All the young nannies teamed up to escort Mwana over to the ant hills, where Lima Lima, Mwashoti, and Sonje were rolling around, rubbing their bellies, and playing mounting games. A few minutes later, Jasiri appeared from the bushes with his wild friends, wanting to join the orphans’ games.
Unfortunately, Murera did not agree with this development. Instead, grouped all the orphans together and they moved away as one. Jasiri and his friends lingered, but Murera wanted to make sure that all her changes stayed together under her guidance.
Wild elephants came to join the orphans along the Kenzili area while the orphans were browsing on the hills, trying to find more to eat. This wild herd had some small babies with them, and Enkesha, who loves babies, left Mwana to approach one. Unsurprisingly, the baby’s protective mother blocked her path.
Enkesha’s friends quickly intervened to spare her punishment from the wild herd. Kiasa rumbled to warn Enkesha not to attempt getting too close to the baby and to instead return to Kiasa and the other friends. Enkesha was fortunate when Lima Lima and Sonje arrived to help her escape. Enkesha stood among the older nannies and felt safe. Unaware of all the drama, Amali and Kapei continued playing on each other's backs.
In the afternoon, the Kenzili area became boring for the babies. Sonje and Murera consulted each other before deciding to relocate to the other side of Kenze, where fresh grass was shooting up after the rains. The elephants followed Murera and Sonje’s lead.
Meanwhile, some buffaloes frightened Alamaya, who was with Mwashoti. Both Alamaya and Mwashoti ran to where the Keepers were seated, telling stories, and stood close to them for safety. Later, they moved again with the orphans and Keepers to another area to browse on fresh greens — they were not taking any chances for more buffalo encounters.
As they came closer to home, Amali presented herself as the leader and made it clear that she wanted to guide the babies back. However, it was still too early to return home, so Amali had to wait until it was time for everyone to head back to the stockades.
Upon returning home, there was great jubilation as the orphans celebrated the arrival of Jasiri, who came back with his adopted mother, four daughters, and a tiny baby among them. Lima Lima and Mwashoti were the first to see Jasiri and his friends. Sonje also walked over to say hello. However, Zongoloni and Quanza were more cautious and moved to observe from a distance.
Those inside the stockades were equally excited; they could hear Jasiri and his friends eating lucerne near the fenceline. Today, the Umani orphans had a near-complete reunion, with only Alamaya missing. Ziwa also returned, but he was alone without his wild herd friends, leading Keepers to believe he had been with Jasiri and Faraja earlier. It felt as though the ‘lost brothers’ had a planned meeting at the stockades.
The next morning, everyone gathered outside the stockades. After sharing pellets with Faraja, Ziwa departed. Amali and Kiasa attempted to follow Ziwa into the bushes, but Sonje quickly intervened to block them. Sonje knew that if Kiasa and Amali followed Ziwa into his wild herd, they might get lost in the Chyulu Hills, creating a dangerous situation where no one could bring them back to the stockades.
Sonje successfully redirected Kiasa and Amali back to Murera and the others, ensuring their safety. The orphans then joined the rest of the group to enjoy some dust baths at their gathering spot.
Faraja once again made an appearance today. He chose to join the babies this morning and was warmly welcomed by Mwashoti, who walked over to him. They both raised their trunks and intertwined them in a friendly gesture, like a hug. Watching this, Maktao and Kiombo tried to copy what they were doing with their trunks. However, Kiombo, being just a young bull, couldn’t do it as well as Faraja and Mwashoti.
Kiombo then began sparring with Maktao, but Maktao was not interested in fighting and only wanted to play. He moved away, trying to avoid Kiombo, who continued to push for a fight. Little Kapei stepped in, inviting Kiombo to play with him instead. Unfortunately, Kapei found himself in trouble when he tried to engage an older and much stronger elephant. One strong push from Kiombo sent Kapei tumbling to the ground.
Enkesha quickly came over to help Kapei, giving him the support he wanted. Once he was up, Kapei glanced towards Sonje, as if hoping that she would discipline Kiombo for his actions. However, Sonje was busy at the dust pile with Quanza and had not noticed the incident.
The elephants left their warm rooms this morning and stepped into the early morning rains. Amali and Mwana quickly sought shelter under the larger elephants. Amali went to Sonje, while Mwana moved under her mother, Murera, to avoid the rain. Murera allowed her but made it clear that Mwana had to behave and not demand breastfeeding, as Murera was still tired from the previous night and needed rest. Prudently, Mwana obeyed her mother’s instructions.
Kiombo and his friend didn’t wait for the rain to stop. Instead, they turned the rainy weather into playtime, rolling in the mud and enjoying themselves. Once the rain stopped, Sonje and the other nannies moved towards the Kenzili area to browse on the fresh greens, with Mwashoti following closely.
Mwashoti, always loyal, accompanied the girls wherever they went. He has been paying special attention to the heavily pregnant females — Zongoloni, Lima Lima, and Sonje — all of whom adore Mwashoti for his caring nature.
It's beginning to get greener in the open Kibwezi Forest now that we have been receiving rain since last week. All the animals who suffered during the dry season now seem to have big smiles on their faces, keeping their bellies full as they eat as much as they can. Kapei, who remains the greediest for food, always has his belly full to capacity, but he ensures there is always room for his milk bottle before bed.
Today, Kapei and Mwashoti had a playful moment that turned a bit rough. Mwashoti was only playing, but Kapei started pushing back aggressively as if it were a real fight. When Lima Lima noticed Kapei was being too rough, she intervened, stepping in to stop him. Mwashoti, being the older and more composed one, stepped aside to allow Kapei to cool off and find his own direction, ensuring the situation didn’t escalate further.
At the waterhole, Amali approached her Keeper and opened her wide mouth — she wanted to suckle on his finger. When the Keeper didn’t immediately understand, Amali let out a loud scream to get his attention. Once the Keeper realized what she wanted, he offered his hand, which Amali happily suckled on for a moment, just like a baby with a pacifier. After a few minutes, Amali contentedly walked off to join the other nannies, who were looking after Mwana.
The orphans had a hurried walk in the morning. Immediately after finishing their breakfast lucerne pellets, Sonje took off, leading the herd into the hills. The Keepers tried calling the names of everyone, but only Enkesha responded. After a moment, she followed her friends to Kenzili, where Sonje had chosen to go.
Murera, as usual, was much slower. With a deep rumble, she warned Sonje to slow down for her. Sonje stopped and waited for Murera while the little nannies enjoyed playing and rolling on one of the slippery ant hills.
Kiombo and Maktao found a good spot on the ant hills to have one of their famous play-fighting games. Maktao scrambled to the top and pushed Kiombo. Kiombo’s feet couldn’t grip the wet ground, forcing him to slide down and admit defeat.
Sonje and her friends reported too late this morning — the orphans were already at the top of the Umani Hills. Sonje rumbled, wanting to locate her littlest friends, Amali and Mwana. As soon as Amali heard Sonje rumbling, she ran to her, followed closely by Mwana.
Little Mwana rushed under Sonje’s legs and began breastfeeding. Unfortunately, she bit Sonje, which caused her nanny to push her aside. Mwana complained bitterly, even though she had been in the wrong. Murera didn’t seem bothered, knowing that her baby was simply being ungrateful to her nannies. Kiasa and Enkesha were initially concerned by Mwana’s complaints, but they soon realised that she was just being greedy.
Maktao wandered towards the peak of the Umani Hills, where he found himself surrounded by buffaloes, who blocked his path. Maktao retreated and began rumbling and blowing his trunk to call for help. Quanza, along with Maktao’s close friends Kiombo and Kapei, arrived to see what was happening. When Maktao saw them, he welcomed their support, but they were outnumbered by buffaloes. The elephants decided to move off and left the buffaloes to graze on the hills undisturbed.
Quanza remained behind to be with the little babies when her friends left her while going to Chyulu. Both Lima Lima and Sonje left in a hurry together with Mwashoti, the only boy who accompanied them. Sonje tried to take Quanza away with them, but Quanza made her way back to the other girls, as she wanted to stay with Amali and Murera and help Murera take care of the baby.
Kapei could not give Kiombo time to relax and started pushing him around. This was not good for Maktao, who is always a friend to Kiombo. Maktao came and showed Kapei a direction to go, leaving Kiombo alone to play with him as they always did as boys. Kapei, being still very young, couldn’t match Kiombo’s strength. This became clear when Kiombo gave him one push, and he was knocked down. This proved to Maktao that Kapei wasn’t ready to push around with Kiombo.
Enkesha walked over to help Kapei, but she struggled until Kiasa joined her. Together, the girls helped Kapei get up from the ground. By this time, Kiombo had gone off with Maktao and the head girls, who didn’t want them to fight.
At mud bath time, all the elephants came to the waterhole after taking their midday bottles. The little babies ran to the shallow puddles filled with rainwater. Amali, who was leading them, was the first to test the water to see if it was warm or cold. When Amali found the water was warm, she called Mwana, and both little girls started rubbing their bottoms in the mud to relieve themselves of ticks.
Murera kept her distance, letting the babies enjoy themselves while she browsed on soft green grass. However, the fun stopped when Kapei began bothering little Mwana. Everyone moved onto the next activity, with Mwana and Kapei bickering all the while.
Big rain started this morning just as the elephants began their journey to the Kibwezi Forest. Before Sonje and Quanza could gather the babies and show them the way, a heavy storm caused a large tree to fall, forcing everyone to run for safety. The Keepers stayed behind the babies to keep order, while the nannies trumpeted loudly as they searched for Mwana and Amali. Fortunately, Mwana and Amali were at the front of the group, leading the way.
After the heavy downpour, the elephants settled on top of the hills, browsing on the new green shoots, which everyone enjoyed. While they were busy browsing, several buffaloes encountered Sonje and Lima Lima rolling in a waterhole. Lima Lima mock-charged to send them away, but two buffaloes continued to move forward, forcing her to run toward the other nannies.
Kiasa and Quanza came to investigate and found the buffaloes already inside the waterhole, enjoying their time in the water. The stubborn visitors just watched the elephants, refusing to move. Later, Enkesha approached and tried to trumpet at the buffaloes, but her damaged trunk made it sound more like a whistle. Realising they had lost the battle, the orphans moved to another location.
This morning, Kapei rushed to the waterhole and started swimming around the other little ones. Kiasa watched him closely, taking care to ensure he did not push Amali aside. Soon, the swimmers were joined by Mwashoti and Kiombo, turning it into a big contest between the girls and boys. The girls won the contest, with Mwana and Enkesha finishing their swimming very well. The boys, who gave up the competition, left the waterhole for play-fighting.
Kiombo and Mwashoti were having such a spirited pushing match that Quanza felt the need to step in and help stop the fighting. Murera and Sonje kept their distance, but Murera sent Sonje over to warn them to stop before she came herself. After the warning, which was well received by the boys, all the orphans moved to Chyulu for browsing time.
Before they could reach their browsing spot, Lima Lima and Alamaya appeared from the bushes and joined the babies. At first, the babies didn’t seem to recognise Alamaya. But when he walked over to his old friend, Mwashoti, they realised it was indeed Alamaya, after many days of being away.
The rains have brought an abundance of greenery, food, and water to many places, including the Kibwezi Forest and the entire Chyulu Hills National Park. The orphans are in high spirits, celebrating the lush greenery they missed for months.
But today, our pregnant girls Lima Lima and Zongoloni seemed very moody. They preferred keeping quiet and calm, allowing only little Mwana to stay close to them, but not Kapei or the other boys. Kapei noticed this and kept his distance, respecting the peace the girls seemed to want.
The mud bath was not without fun, despite the cold weather. Kiombo moved to the waterhole, and as soon as he began wallowing, all the babies followed him. Their mud bath lasted more than an hour, and no one wanted to leave. The fun ended when Maktao and Lima Lima spotted a little crocodile inside the mud bath. They signalled to the others, and this sent everyone running out of the waterhole abruptly. None of the babies wanted to stay in the water after that.
Sonje and Murera, who had kept their distance as if they knew something might happen, stood watching as Lima Lima and little Kapei made their escape, trumpeting loudly.
Today, the waterhole playground was full of swimming and trumpeting. The swimming turned very noisy, with loud trumpets coming from all directions. A baboon came close to where Amali and Mwana were enjoying their mud bath, but Kapei was feeling protective and did not give the baboon any opportunity to come closer. The baboon was forced to climb up a tree and watch from the high branches.
Maktao joined Kapei and Quanza, making the mud bath even more spirited. Murera, who had been browsing, came to see why the mud bath had turned so noisy. She joined the babies in chasing the baboons, who had already climbed the trees. The baboons began warning their friends not to come to the noisy place filled with elephants.
Two buffaloes resting on the dust hills were also not spared by the elephants. When Lima Lima spotted them, she rushed to chase the buffaloes away. However, as she was alone, the two large male buffaloes did not budge. Lima Lima left quietly, only to return with a troop of orphans. Together, they helped her chase the buffaloes away. Sensing danger, the buffaloes fled into the bushes for safety, leaving the elephants trumpeting and charging behind them. The elephants made it clear that the buffaloes had to leave, and Lima Lima ensured their retreat was complete.
As the orphans headed to the Umani water springs this morning, Sonje and Zongoloni spotted crocodiles resting on the shore. The crocodiles, sensing the heavy movements around them, got scared and began running back into the water.
Watching this scene unfold, Murera chose a different direction for the safety of the babies. They squeezed themselves onto a narrow path that wasn’t wide enough for everyone. They placed Mwana in front, while Kapei and the older babies had to manage on their own. After crossing over to the other side, the elephants changed direction and headed toward Kenze, agreeing to the new plan chosen by Sonje and her co-leader Murera.
As the respected leaders, Murera and Sonje were followed by all, with Kiombo, Mwashoti, and their close friend Maktao pulling back to let the girls and little Mwana lead the way. Meanwhile, the boys played at the back.
Kapei caused trouble by pulling Amali’s tail, prompting Amali to rumble loudly in complaint. She called out to Murera and the other head girls for help. The older nannies moved back quickly to investigate the source of Amali's distress. Quanza stood protectively between Amali and Kapei, while Zongoloni chased Kapei into the bushes, making it clear he should stay away until he was ready to behave.
Upon reaching the hills, the orphans encountered a large herd of buffalo sleeping on the slopes, unwilling to move. Kapei and Kiombo, feeling confident, attempted to scare the buffalo away, but their efforts were futile against the sheer number of buffalo. Some buffalo got up and charged at the elephants, forcing the orphans and Keepers to retreat.
Sonje, along with Quanza and little Enkesha, avoided the buffalo entirely. They were unsettled by the sight of them shaking their heads and flapping their ears in warning. The Keepers decided to redirect the group to another location free from buffalo.
Lima Lima, with help from Sonje and Quanza, moved towards the edges of Kenzili. They worked together to stay clear of the larger wild herd and some ex-orphans who had joined the group. When they attempted to return to Murera and Mwana, Quanza blocked Mwana and Amali from straying too far, concerned that the little girls might get lost if they wandered off with the wild herd.
On top of Kenzili Hills, the orphans found an abundance of lush green vegetation and became so busy browsing that they lost track of time, ignoring the usual midday bottle-feeding schedule. The Keepers eventually had to bring the milk bottles up to the hills.
Kapei and Kiombo were the first to notice the approaching vehicle and quickly ran towards it. Kapei rumbled loudly to alert the others. The rest of the orphans emerged from their hideouts and eagerly gathered around the vehicle to enjoy their milk bottles.