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This morning, Muridjo and Weka made a beeline for Olomunyak as soon as we opened their stable doors. The two nannies fussed over the little boy, trunk touching while standing close. In contrast, Latika was with some older orphans, having been reluctant to spend time with other babies since her beloved Mokogodo died. Muridjo and Weka escorted the little boy out to the field, walking one on either side. Minutes later, their hopes of spending the morning with him were dashed as three older girls pulled rank! Sileita, Mushuru and Muwingu strolled over to pick up Olomunyak, leaving Muridjo and Weka with no baby. They tried to win him back - but this was impossible as he was completely surrounded by the three girls. This little boy is melting the hearts of the big girls!

Later in the morning at the mud bath, the herd browsed on supplementary lucerne rather than paddled in the pool. Sholumai was walking from one elephant to the next, snatching green branches from the trunk of whoever she came across. She started by pinching greens from Loldaiga, then from Mageno, then from Kitich, Choka and Weka! To Sholumai, the grass was much greener on the other side!

On a hot afternoon, Maxwell enjoyed a cool down in his mud pool. He rolled over onto his back, covering every part of his body with soothing, skin-conditioning mud before clambering out for a lie-down under the shade of a tree. Not far away, many of the elephants were also paddling and splashing in their mud wallow.

As usual, the orphans returned to their stockades in the late afternoon, padding down the path in groups and into their rooms for another milk feed. Shujaa has become used to his new stable and now walks in happily in the evenings. When we first moved him a few weeks ago, he was indignant and had to be cajoled into his room.

In the early morning, Sileita walked out of her stable and down to see her friends Nyambeni and Mzinga. When she found their doors closed and the orphans still inside, she knocked on Nyambeni’s door with her head. (Nyambeni and Mzinga continue to insist on looking after little Askari and so we open their doors just after the rest of the herd have left for the forest.) After waiting a few minutes, the mini matriarch went over to greet Maxwell who was standing at one of the gates to his enclosure. She teased him by kicking and knocking his gate, making Max happy and playful. He lumbered around his enclosure, completed a lap and then stood next to Sileita again.

Out in the forest, the herd spread out to browse in small groups. Sholumai, Choka, Kitich, Loldaiga and Muwingu sneaked away from the herd and their Keepers to wander deep in the forest. Just before the time for the next milk feed, the five orphans reappeared, announcing their return by charging towards the herd and trumpeting loudly. These older orphans (and also Mageno and Mukutan) are growing up and choosing to spend time away from the younger orphans – they will soon be ready to ‘graduate’ from the Nursery and to begin the next stage of their journey back to the wild.

As the first group of orphans led by Kerrio and Latika left the mud wallow to return to the forest later in the morning, they came across two lionesses lying under a bush. Keepers, elephants and lions were all surprised! The lionesses ran off in one direction as the elephants charged away in another, trumpeting and bush-bashing in alarm. The elephants headed back to the safety of the stockades – we calmed them down and shepherded them to an area of the forest close to home.

As usual, the herd padded out to the forest in the early morning. Most settled down to browse or play or dust bath except Kerrio and Muridjo who were restless. Rather than browsing in the bush, they walked around with trunks aloft looking for Nyambeni and Mzinga. Askari’s devoted babysitters were still at the stockades with their little charge. Askari, who was attacked by lions,walks very slowly because of his injuries and so we take the three orphans out after the herd. Used to spending days with Nyambeni and Mzinga, Kerrio and Muridjo were missing their friends. The crafty girls sneaked away from the others back to the stockades where they found Nyambeni, Mzinga and Askari outside their rooms. This morning, the little boy hobbled out to the forest sandwiched not just by two nannies but by four! The group walked at the slowest of paces up the path. Nyambeni and Mzinga settled down to browse on either side of Askari while Kerrio and Muridjo returned to the herd.

Mageno is fond of leading other orphans like Sholumai, Kitich, Choka, Mukutan, Loldaiga and Muwingu deep into the forest. This morning, he headed off on his own. Sometime later, we heard the bull trumpeting loudly from a distance – he was calling indignantly for his absent friends! They ignored the protest and the wandering bull returned to the herd soon afterwards.

In the afternoon, Loldaiga and Mukutan played many rounds of the pushing game, sizing each other up in a lengthy contest of strength, as others hosed themselves with soothing soil or continued browsing. When we called the herd together in preparation for returning to the stockades, Mukutan and Weka ignored our whistles. The two naughty elephants refused to stop browsing and several Keepers had to round them up. Nyambeni, Mzinga and Askari walked back to the stockades after the herd today – Mzinga refused to enter her room, despite the promise of a bottle of milk, until Askari was safely stowed away in his!

This morning, little Askari toddled a short distance from the stockades, hunkering down for rests along the way, and browsed for a short time. Then he lay down for a nap in a thick bush with Nyambeni standing guard and Mzinga dozing in a nearby bush.

In contrast, many of the older orphans were in boisterous moods. The big boys’ day began with several noisy rounds of wrestling and sizing up. Choka, Mageno, Kitich, Loldaiga and Mukutan swapped opponents as they clashed heads and tiny tusks while the girls and younger boys browsed around them. Pushing games soon led to mounting games. Mukutan, Choka and Loldaiga chased after Mushuru and Muwingu, doing their (unsuccessful) best to mount the older girls, while Mageno and Kitich chased after Latika and Kerrio. After lots of lumbering and tumbling, Mukutan abandoned his game and walked over to Kerrio as she lay on her side doing her play-cushion-thing. He could not resist clambering on top of her whereupon Sholumai ran at him and shoved him off. She was feeling protective of her girlfriend!

The fun and games continued later in the morning at the mud bath. Mushuru was first to paddle into the water, making enormous splashes with her feet and trunk before lying down in the middle of the pool. She was soon joined by Sileita, Loldaiga, Weka, Choka, Kitich and Muwingu. Sileita, Loldaiga and Weka lay on their sides with trunks waving while Choka and Kitich stood splashing on the edge. Muwingu squatted on Mushuru and rubbed her rump from side to side on her friend. They climbed out for a drink and a dusting and then climbed back in for another dip. Today, we had to persuade our herd to return to the forest!

Back out in the field, Choka found a patch of dry ground that was perfect for dusting. Watched by little Talek, he rolled around on the earth with legs and trunk waving in the air. After standing next to him for some minutes, the little girl walked up to the big bull. She climbed on to him and slid off and climbed up again and so the game went on. Choka was very gentle to Talek, allowing her to play on him and being careful not to push her off!

On another sunny day, the orphans were full of playful energy. First, they tussled over the few green shoots in the forest, pushing their friends and pinching tasty branches from each other’s mouths. Next, they scratched their backsides against tree stumps and boulders and then some began playing. Mukutan and Mushuru played the pushing game in one clearing while Shujaa and Kerrio played chasing and mounting games in another. As usual, it was not long before Kerrio lay down and invited Shujaa to clamber on top of her. Spotting an opportunity, Mukutan broke away from Mushuru and headed for his favourite play sofa! The growing bull, however, did not succeed in his mission – because Mushuru was in hot pursuit! She followed him, he climbed on Kerrio and she pushed him off. Accepting the inevitable, the good-humoured boy walked off, found a dry patch of soil and rolled around on the ground.

Talek drinks milk carefully and makes sure that she drinks every drop, in contrast to some orphans who gulp down their milk, dribbling as they drink. This morning at the mud bath, the clever little girl quietly walked over to the wheelbarrow full of empty bottles while the Keepers were busy feeding her friends. She picked up the bottles with her trunk and chucked them on the ground. She knew there would be some milk at the bottom of the wheelbarrow and was determined to suck up every drop!

The remainder of the day was peaceful. The herd visited the mud bath again in the afternoon but opted to browse on greens rather than play in the wallow. We were happy to see that Choka had no trace of a limp, having hurt his leg a week ago while sizing up against Mukutan.

It was a peaceful morning. No one was showing off or playing in the forest. Big boys Loldaiga, Choka, Mukutan, Mageno and Kitich browsed quietly with the herd – in contrast to most days when at least two of the older bulls play wrestling games. Smaller orphans like Olomunyak, Talek, Taroha and Wamata stayed close to mini matriarchs Sileita, Kerrio and Mushuru.

It was the same story at the mud bath. The two groups – younger ones and then older ones – padded down the path, drank their milk and settled down to browse on greens. It really was a morning of rest for the elephants!

In the early afternoon, Mageno went walkabout again. Today, he led Loldaiga, Choka and Sholumai away from the herd and deep into the forest. We found them contentedly browsing in a clearing two hours later and shepherded them back for a milk feed.

The herd livened up in the afternoon at the mud wallow. Kamili and Latika drank from the water buckets while Kitich and Choka paddled along the edge of the wallow, sucking up trunkfuls of water and slapping them on their backs, and Shujaa, Kerrio and Talek lay down in the middle. Shujaa and Talek took it in turns to climb on big sister Kerrio and slide off - again and again.

Kerrio was feeling left out of the Nyambeni-Mzinga-Askari gang this morning. A wonderfully caring female, she is used to looking after the newbies in the herd, rather than being unable to spend time with them. When she heard Askari trumpeting in the forest, Kerrio quietly padded away from the herd (when the Keepers turned their backs) and headed straight for Askari. Nyambeni and Mzinga (who were looked after by Kerrio after their rescues) welcomed their big sister and allowed her to fuss over the little boy. The four orphans remained together for a time and then Kerrio went back to see her other babies.

In the forest in the afternoon, Kerrio was looking after Olomunyak. They browsed together, trunk touching often, as they wandered through the bushes. Coming across a lying-down Sileita, the little boy rested his front legs on her bulk with Kerrio staying close. Nearby, Muridjo was spending time with little Wamata. The newbie has settled in very well to her new family and the older girls love taking care of her. Today, it was feisty Muridjo’s turn to fuss over the little girl. When Muridjo had had enough and wandered away to play with Weka, Sileita, Choka and Kitich stepped into the role, sandwiching Wamata as they browsed together.

Not far away, Raha was having a relaxing afternoon. She plodded a short distance from the stockades, browsed on a few shoots of soft greens and lay down in a bush for a rest. Rhinos are solitary creatures and Raha spends most days with her Keepers, occasionally greeting Mzinga or Maxwell but generally choosing to be on her own.

Pardamat still likes hanging out with the big girls and boys. We are happy for him to spend time with the older orphans as he has a habit of being rough with his age mates. Sometimes, he plays well with Taroha and Talek and sometimes he pushes them too hard. This morning in the forest, he was marching along behind Sholumai, Kitich and Choka, on his best behaviour with his older friends. They stretched their trunks up high to pull down green branches - but he had to be content with searching in the undergrowth for soft shoots.

Pretty little Wamata has adjusted so well to her new life and is always to be found with at least one nanny in attendance. This morning, she was browsing with Mushuru and Sileita, toddling along happily flanked by two big sisters. She has put on weight already and is beginning to play with Olomunyak and Talek.

It poured with rain in the afternoon and the forest was awash with large puddles. The orphans were excited by the downpour. Kamili paddled in one puddle while sucking up trunkfuls of rainwater while Sileita squatted on the edge, massaging her backside and waving her trunk. Mukutan, Kerrio, Mageno, Loldaiga, Latika and Kamili were soon playing in a particularly large pool. They paddled and splashed and clambered all over each other, covering their bodies with thick gloopy mud and creating a pile up of elephants.

This morning in the forest, little Raha was enjoying a milk feed. After slowly emptying her bottle, she carefully rubbed her tiny horn against the bark of a shrub. She was attempting to sharpen her horn, a useful skill for a rhino. After this, she wandered through the bush with her Keeper, lying down for a rest on a rocky area warmed by the sun and then rolling around for a dust bath on a patch of dry soil. She rolled with legs akimbo as her Keeper shovelled soil all over her.

At the mud bath, the herd enjoyed another milk feed before heading back to the forest to browse. Busy paddling in the muddy water, Shujaa was left behind when the orphans wandered away in a long line. A few minutes later, he climbed out and padded after his friends along the same path. When the young bull spotted two lionesses lying under a bush along the way, he came to a standstill with ears flared and trunk aloft. The lionesses did not budge and, finally, Shujaa decided to make a run for the herd. Trumpeting loudly, he sprinted past the predators to the midst of the herd. Sileita and Kerrio calmed down the young bull with rumbles and trunk hugs.

In the afternoon, our water babies cooled off in the mud wallow – which was full of water following yesterday’s rain. Kerrio and Pardamat submerged themselves in the chocolate mud. The little boy climbed out and Taroha, Kamili and Shujaa joined Kerrio. The four orphans rubbed against each other and the edges as they played in the wallow.

Back out in the forest, Sholumai and Mushuru browsed in some thick bushes close to little Olomunyak as, bottom in the air, he played a face-planting-and-rubbing game.

In the morning the toddlers were squabbling over milk at the mud bath. Pardamat was first in the group of younger elephants to pad down the path for his bottle - which he gulped down in seconds before walking on to the water trough. He sucked up water and squirted it into his mouth and along his back. Meanwhile, Olomunyak had arrived and was drinking his milk from a bottle held up by a Keeper. Pardamat darted over and pushed the other boy. In the past, Olomunyak might have backed down but no longer! He pushed back hard and the two boys began fighting. The Keepers intervened quickly to restore the peace but not before Olomunyak had knocked Pardamat over, much to the older boy’s annoyance!

In the afternoon, the orphans were in playful moods. After filling their bellies, best friends Mukutan and Choka pushed and wrestled against each other in a large puddle in the forest. Talek and Pardamat played a climbing-all-over-each-other game. First they leaned together and then Pardamat lay down and Talek climbed on top of him, resting her legs on either side of her age mate. Latika and Kitich were also playing in the sunshine. After chasing around, the two friends rolled on the ground and then Kitich rested his body against Latika, twirling his trunk in circles.

Kitich has changed so much. When he first arrived in the Nursery, he was an anxious thin little boy who used to shout for his milk. He has grown into a rotund confident young bull who is respectful to the Keepers and playful to his many friends. He cannot resist play-mounting any prone elephant he comes across, but is always careful not to hurt the little ones. This morning in the forest, he played pushing games with Shujaa and then went for a wander with Mageno. We think that Kitich and Mageno are the politest bulls in the herd!

As usual, Raha walked out to the forest with her Keeper after the elephants. Today, the stubborn little rhino refused to walk any distance. She browsed for an hour or so close to the stockades and then lay down under a bush for a nap. In the afternoon, Raha was happy to walk further afield, finding a dusty clearing that was perfect for a dust bath. She lay on her side and rolled onto her back, covering every part of her body with dry soil.

Not far away, our elephant orphans were also dust bathing or playing games. Muridjo, Taroha and Loldaiga squirted trunkfuls of dust over their heads and along their backs while Kamili and Weka rubbed their faces on the ground and then against each other. Muwingu walked over to Mageno while he was relaxing on his haunches. The two friends entwined trunks and pushed heads together playfully as Choka watched on from the sidelines.

As it was an overcast morning, Raha kept her cosy blanket on today until the afternoon. After a lie-in, her Keeper led her out to the forest wearing a thick grey cover. She found a patch of her favourite greens and settled down to browse. Later in the morning, Raha did some sunbathing in a rocky area of the forest.

This morning at the mud bath, Mushuru and Choka had a disagreement over milk! As two of the oldest orphans in the herd, they visit the wallow in the second group. Choka jogged down the path first, drank his two bottles of milk and moved on to the water trough. Mushuru was enjoying her second bottle – holding it deftly in her trunk – when Choka strolled up and tried to grab the bottle. Mushuru quickly moved her head to the side and ran away along the rope cordon, with her trunk still twisted around the bottle. Giving chase, Choka ran behind her along the cordon and around the wallow – where he was intercepted by Mukutan, the dominant bull. Choka abandoned his quest and headed back to the lucerne area.

Muridjo is taking her nannying duties most seriously! In the forest today, she was with Shujaa and Olomunyak. Shujaa is her age mate and best buddy so he did not need looking after but Olomunyak is much younger. Our feisty girl kept draping her trunk along the little boy’s back as the three wandered through the bush together! For once, Kerrio was able to lie down today without another elephant immediately clambering on top of her. In the afternoon, she lay on a dry patch of ground, hosing herself with dry soil and relaxing all by herself!

Talek and Pardamat – who sleep in neighbouring stockades and often squabble over greens during the night – continued their disagreement this morning. When a Keeper opened their doors, two indignant little elephants marched out and locked heads! We separated the toddlers, ordering one to walk towards Sileita and the other to Kerrio. Minutes later, the herd ambled out to browse in the forest. Talek immediately looked for Pardamat and the two friends began playing happily! Mushuru – who now looks after all the babies but her favourite is still Pardamat – was also searching for her little boy. She rumbled, he responded, and she found Pardamat and Talek playing in a clearing. She remained close, contentedly browsing next to the two younger orphans.

Nyambeni and Mzinga are continuing to look after little Askari – they will not leave his side and have not visited the mud bath for weeks. The little boy’s wounds have not yet healed and he is still only able to hobble. His two big sisters are devoted, keeping step with Askari all day, touching him affectionately, and seeing off most of the rest of the herd.

In the afternoon, many orphans had fun playing in a large muddy pool. Water baby Taroha was first in and Mageno soon padded in to wallow with him. Little and large lay together in the thick mud, waving trunks as they rolled around. When several older elephants joined them in the mud, Taroha climbed out before someone could squash him by accident. He walked away to browse with Shujaa and Kamili while Sileita, Mageno, Loldaiga and Mushuru cavorted together in the pool. They climbed up and over each other, splashing mud all over the place. Eventually, a line of elephants covered in thick grey mud meandered back to the stockades for the night.

Latika was back to her old self this morning. As soon as her gate had been opened, she darted down to wait for Olomunyak and Taroha outside their stables. They toddled out, she scooped them up (so enthusiastically that they seemed overwhelmed), and they carried onto Wamata’s room. Latika ushered the three babies out to the forest, nudging their backsides with her head, and spent the whole morning with them, trunk touching each in turn.

An hour or so later, the orphans came across a group of impalas. Latika ran at the impalas with ears flared, overreacting in her determination to protect her babies. Responding to her trumpets of alarm, Sileita and Kerrio then also charged the innocent gazelles (who posed no threat whatsoever to the herd!). Four small warthogs were subjected to the same treatment by the mini matriarch, whilst her babies continued to browse contentedly.

In the afternoon, Shujaa enjoyed a solitary wallow as his friends browsed in the bush. He paddled and splashed before lying down and submerging his head in the mud! Then he sucked up thick mud and squirted it in every direction, rolled around some more, sat on his haunches, and climbed out to join the herd.

Back at the stockades, Maxwell was also getting muddy. He wallowed in his pool for a long time and did some sunbathing while covered in cool thick mud.

This morning, Muridjo was being a lovely nanny to little Wamata. The older girl rumbled to the newbie as she walked out of her stable, trunk touching her as she shepherded her out to the forest. Muridjo and Wamata browsed for a time on their own but were soon joined by Mushuru and Sileita. The three older females stood protectively around Wamata, allowing her to feel safe and secure. Not far away, Sholumai was also being maternal. This shy girl has been reluctant to look after babies since her rescue, choosing instead to be with older members of the herd. This morning, she was with Olomunyak and Pardamat, fussing over the two boys and standing close to them. Sholumai is changing!

After browsing quietly for a time, the orphans woke up and began playing. Older bulls Kitich and Loldaiga played pushing and chasing games, Weka and Kerrio entwined trunks as they massaged their sides against a tree, and Talek and Pardamat tumbled around in the dust.

After visiting the mud bath for another milk feed in the afternoon, the herd headed back to the forest. It was a peaceful afternoon as some orphans dusted or massaged themselves while others browsed or sunbathed. After a good dusting, Weka sat in the sun, twirling her trunk and rubbing the underside along the ground.

Sholumai and Pardamat were together again this morning. Our independent girl headed down to the naughty boy’s stable soon after first light, picked him up and headed out to the forest. He has always enjoyed being with older orphans and was happy to wander far afield with Sholumai, Mukutan, Mageno and Choka. The five orphans returned today in good time for the mid-morning milk feed at the mud bath.

On their way out to the forest this morning, Mzinga and Nyambeni stopped off to greet Maxwell in his large enclosure. The blind rhino stood on one side of the gate while the two elephants stretched their trunks through the gaps and draped them along his back. Max stood very still for a few minutes before turning around and lumbering back to the pile of pellets.

In the afternoon, there was more mud wallowing. The older orphans lay around in the smaller mud pool, lazily slapping the water with their trunks while rubbing their bodies together. Mushuru made a half-hearted attempt to mount Loldaiga while they paddled but soon returned to wallowing. Finding the pool crowded, Kitich climbed out to lie on the surrounding wet area. While the older ones swam, Sileita, Latika and Kerrio remained at the main mud bath, looking after Taroha, Wamata, Talek and Pardamat while they browsed or drank from the water bucket.

Kerrio and Sileita were ambling along at the end of the line of orphans heading out to the forest this morning. As they walked past Maxwell’s gate, they stopped to greet him. Kerrio stretched her trunk through the gaps to touch the rhino’s head and to rub behind his ears. Sileita also extended her trunk and draped it along his back. He stood still, enjoying the attention. When he returned to his pile of pellets, the two big girls scooted back to the stockades, rather than continuing to the forest. Spotting an opportunity, they nipped in and out of several rooms in search of leftover lucerne and pellets. One Keeper whistled but they ignored him – it took four of us to persuade the greedy girls to move out from the stockades!

Shujaa and Taroha had a marathon session in the mud bath in the afternoon. The two boys lay down in the gloopy mud with only trunks and tops of heads sticking out of the water. They rubbed bodies before standing up for a pushing-and-clambering-all-over-each-other game, splashing thick mud as they waved their trunks in excitement. Eventually, the water boys went back to wallowing in the mud.

Later in the afternoon in the forest, Olomunyak massaged his face and trunk along the dry ground while keeping his backside in the air. Mushuru and Muwingu browsed quietly nearby, pulling down green branches from tall trees.

This morning, almost all of the second group of older orphans went swimming in the mud bath. Usually, Choka browses on green leaves after his bottles of milk but today he went straight to the pool. He plunged into the cooling mud with Mukutan following in his wake. The two big boys played pushing games in the water – until almost everyone else joined them and there was no room to move. Sileita, Kitich, Weka, Loldaiga, Sholumai, Mushuru, Muwingu and Muridjo climbed in one by one to paddle and wallow. Loldaiga and Weka made enormous splashes, kicking the water with their feet and slapping it with their trunks.

It rained in the middle of the day, turning the forest into a muddy playground. After browsing in the afternoon, many orphans had fun in an especially wet clearing. Muridjo, Sholumai and Loldaiga played pushing games while squatting in the mud as Talek, Kamili and Kitich browsed around them. When Muridjo and Sholumai wandered away, Choka, Kamili and Latika joined Loldaiga in the bog, massaging themselves in the mud while jostling against each other playfully. Later in the day, we sent a mud-caked herd of elephants back to the stockades for another milk feed in their warm dry stables.

Following a downpour of rain at dawn, the forest was wet, the ground was muddy and slippery, and the elephants were excited! Kerrio and Mageno – who love playing in the mud – walked straight to a pool of standing water quite close to the stockades. They rolled in the thick gloop and clambered all over each other.  It was not long before several other orphans had joined them.

Later in the day at the mud bath, Wamata walked up to Mukutan while he was browsing on lucerne. Taken by surprise, the dominant bull of the herd pushed the little girl over. No harm was done – she popped back onto her feet while Sileita stood close and trunk hugged her. Knowing that he had made a mistake, Mukutan immediately walked away from the herd to browse on his own in the bush. He was not going to risk being disciplined by the mini matriarch!

After returning to the forest, Loldaiga relaxed in a patch of mud, rubbing his front feet and trunk, while Pardamat and Sholumai walked around him looking for green browse. Joining the playful bull in the sludge, Sholumai knelt down to rest her belly. The two friends played a version of the pushing game and lay down on their sides. Not far away, Muridjo and Weka rolled around in another large puddle.

Soon after dawn, Nyambeni stretched her trunk over her stable door, rumbling to her Keepers that she was ready for the day. She and Mzinga were first to emerge from their rooms on an overcast morning. The two girls stood together outside little Askari’s door while we opened the other gates and the orphans gathered to head out to the forest. Askari was not well and so he stayed in his stable. Nyambeni and Mzinga – wonderful nannies who love looking after babies even though they are only two years old – were not happy. We ushered them out with the herd but they kept trying to sneak back to the stockades to see Askari. Eventually, they gave up and settled down with their friends. As the rain continued to drizzle, Nyambeni led the herd deep into the woods and then back to the mud bath for the mid-morning milk feed.

Kamili was in an independent mood in the afternoon. She kept her distance from the herd, enjoying a solitary dust bath and tree massage. Meanwhile, the others ambled around in small groups, enjoying the fresh wet forest. Latika and Taroha padded through puddles on a rocky outcrop while Talek and Olomunyak played the pushing game and Sileita stuck close to Wamata.

After some rain in the night, the ground was muddy this morning. Maxwell lumbered out of his stable, walked around his enclosure, and lay down in the mud. The enormous rhino rolled onto his back, covering every part of his body with cool mud. On her way out, little Raha marched past the rhino’s gate. Occasionally, she pauses along the way but not today.

Meanwhile, the herd headed out to the forest as usual to browse. Nyambeni and Mzinga were with the others today as Askari was not well and resting in his stable. The two girls browsed with Kerrio, Olomunyak and Talek while Sileita and Muwingu stayed close to Taroha and Wamata. Sweet Taroha is taller than little Wamata – this morning, he was pulling down leaves which she could not reach and placing them in front of her.

The big boys and girls were exploring the forest again today. After browsing and playing wrestling games, Choka, Muwingu, Mageno, Loldaiga, Sholumai and Mukutan quietly padded away from the younger orphans into the bush. The mini herd did not go far, settling down to browse and dust bath in a clearing. When it was time for the next milk feed, two Keepers shepherded them back to the herd. They sprinted back with flared ears and lifted trunks.

Olomunyak and Taroha sleep in adjacent stockades, meaning that they are best friends by day but occasionally squabble at night. Last night, cheeky Olomunyak was pinching Taroha’s greens, stretching his trunk through gaps in the partition while his friend’s back was turned. In the morning, Taroha got his own back, making a beeline for Olomunyak the moment his door was opened and giving him a strong shove. Taken by surprise, the younger boy almost fell over. Moments later, the two were friends again and walked out to the forest with the herd. Talek chose to browse with Olomunyak this morning, touching him regularly to check that all was fine while the two small elephants wandered along behind Mushuru.

Sadly, little Askari collapsed in the morning and passed away a few hours later. Despite all our efforts and the devotion of Mzinga and Nyambeni, the little boy’s wounds were so severe that his body could not overcome them. His two nannies were subdued for the remainder of the day, accepting the loss and finding comfort with Kerrio and Sileita.

Later in the morning, the first group of younger orphans visited the mud bath for another milk feed. We send them down in groups of three or four for their bottles. Kerrio may be a big girl but she is still reluctant to hold her own bottle, preferring instead to be fed by a Keeper. The orphans gulped their milk and spread out around the mud bath. Kamili drank from the water bucket while Latika and the babies browsed on lucerne.

Muridjo has always been playful — but now she is becoming maternal! This morning in the forest, she was playing with Shujaa. The two elephants entwined trunks before pushing heads and chasing each other around trees. They are best friends as well as age mates. The game was followed by a browsing session with Wamata. Muridjo, transformed from tomboy to nanny, fussed over the younger orphan as they wandered slowly through the forest.

Nyambeni soon managed to prise the baby away from Muridjo and had a turn of looking after her! Later in the morning, Pardamat and Olomunyak hung out with Wamata – picking up small pieces of browse and playing gentle versions of the pushing game. Shujaa and Kamili browsed nearby while Loldaiga and Kitich clashed heads in one of their regular contests of strength and Sholumai and Latika wandered off into the bush together.

In the afternoon, the orphans returned to the forest after another milk feed at the mud bath. Finding a patch of dry soil, Kamili, Kerrio and Muwingu hosed up trunkfuls of soothing soil and hosed them along their backs, creating clouds of dust as they did so. Many others joined the dust bathing session before we sent them back in groups to the safety of the stockades for the night.

Taroha is growing fast, turning into a strong young bull! Although he is three months younger than Shujaa, the two boys are close in size and strength and regular playmates. This morning, Taroha and Shujaa (who learned his sparring skills from Kerrio) were testing each other’s strength, clashing heads, twisting around and pushing together again. Having been trained by Shujaa, Taroha is now passing on his skills to Pardamat who is three months younger than him. After several rounds with Shujaa, Taroha walked away to enjoy the less challenging game of play mounting Nyambeni as she relaxed on her side.

In the afternoon at the mud bath, Shujaa was being assertive. Lounging in the mud, he would not allow the others to join him. Every time one of the little ones dipped a toe in the water, he blocked them from going any further. Kerrio was, however, a different matter. When she paddled into the pool, he gave her space and moved to the edge, full of respect for his big sister!

The remainder of the day was peaceful. The elephants returned to the forest where they browsed companionably, moving in fluid groups. Shujaa browsed first with Mzinga and then ambled over to see Weka whereupon Mzinga joined up with Choka and Nyambeni. Little Wamata was with fan-club-members Mushuru, Muridjo, Loldaiga and Sileita. Loldaiga left the group of girls, browsing by himself for a time and then with Mukutan and Talek. Mukutan made a half-hearted attempt to clamber onto a confident little Talek as she rested on the ground.

Muwingu was in a rush this morning! She pushed her door open and padded down to the babies’ stables. First she greeted Olomunyak and then Taroha. Standing outside Wamata’s closed door, she nudged it with her head and scooped up the little girl as soon as she emerged. Wamata has quickly become the big girls’ favourite – even amongst less maternal females like Muwingu and Muridjo. This morning, Wamata browsed next to Muwingu in the forest while the older girl trunk touched her regularly. In the past few days, she has often been seen with Muridjo.

On another day of sunshine, the orphans cooled off in the mud bath. Several paddled while others tumbled around together in the deeper part of the pool. A very muddy Loldaiga rubbed his face on the edge, having crawled out of the water after a lengthy wallow. Water baby Taroha squirted muddy water all over himself while enjoying a paddle. With Olomunyak standing on the sidelines, Mzinga and Nyambeni had another boisterous dip. They climbed on and off and over each other, taking it in turns to lie down, and then rolled in the thick mud. When it was time to head back to the forest, a reluctant herd caked in mud walked slowly away from the mud bath.

Raha was full of beans this morning. Squeaking her way up the path, she paused outside Maxwell’s enclosure. Sensing her presence, he pawed at the ground with his enormous feet, creating clouds of dust, and then walked over to the gate. The small rhino stood on one side and the very large one on the other for a minute before Raha continued on her way. Out in the forest, she grazed close to a family of warthogs this morning, being happy to follow along after the pigs. As usual, she had a lie-down on the grass after filling her belly.

This morning, it was Mushuru’s turn to look after Wamata. The younger girl stood close to the older one in an open area of the forest. Not far away, Mageno was expertly plucking tasty branches from a large shrub.

The orphans were in playful moods in the afternoon. Kamili sat on a mound, twirling her trunk, while Mukutan and Sholumai hosed themselves with trunkfuls of dry soil. Talek and Mzinga played chasing games in one clearing while Taroha and Pardamat (who are well-matched boys) wrestled happily in another, trumpeting as they tested each other’s strength. Choka stood on his hind legs while resting his forelegs on Mushuru, who did not seem to mind the bull’s weight as she made no attempt to move away.

Although the clouds are gathering and the rainy season is approaching, the sun was still shining this morning. The orphans drank their milk in groups and spread out around the wallow. In contrast to many days, no one tried to pinch an extra bottle either from the wheelbarrow or from another elephant. Several in the first group drank from the water trough while Shujaa, Taroha and Latika paddled in the pool. When they left, the second older group took their place. Today, Weka, Sholumai and Choka were the only orphans to walk into the wallow where they slapped the water with their trunks and kicked it with their feet.

Back out in the forest, while Muridjo hovered around, Wamata hung out with a Keeper. She greeted him with lifted trunk, encouraging his attentions and draping her trunk over his arm. He obligingly found some tasty titbits of grass for her. Sometimes Wamata chooses to be with the elephants and sometimes she chooses to be with the Keepers. Wamata, Talek, Olomunyak and Pardamat, in contrast to some of our older rescues, quickly became accustomed to surrogate human parents after being rescued and felt safe around them.

In the afternoon, Nyambeni and Kerrio were taking turns to look after Olomunyak. The little boy lounged on the ground while his nannies swapped places. When Pardamat padded over to challenge Olomunyak to play, both nannies joined the game and soon there was a wonderful pile up of noisy elephants in the forest.

Soon after dawn, we opened the doors and the elephants padded out of their rooms. Budding nanny Muridjo walked up the path with Wamata behind her — that is, until their way was blocked by Mushuru who also wanted to look after the little girl. Muwingu and Sholumai pushed Mushuru out of the way. They understood that today it was Muridjo’s turn to look after Wamata, and so the pair walked on to the forest.

Although most of the herd stayed close to the stockades this morning, eight orphans went off exploring. Choka, Sholumai, Loldaiga, Mushuru, Mukutan, Sileita and Mageno strode off into the forest, with Pardamat jogging along in their wake. The little boy still likes being with older orphans and they are happy to have him along for the ride. Sholumai and Mushuru take good care of him, sometimes competing to be his nanny. In contrast, Olomunyak and Taroha rarely choose to go off with the big girls and boys. The mini herd returned in good time for the mid-morning milk feed, padding silently out of the bush to rejoin their herd.

The besties were back in the mud bath together today! Shuaa and Kerrio (and the rest) are happy to be reunited with Mzinga and Nyambeni, having missed them while they chose to look after Askari (who was not strong enough to keep up the herd). This afternoon, the four friends had a marathon session in the mud. Shujaa and Mzinga clambered over each other, then Kerrio and Nyambeni, then Mzinga and Nyambeni, then Kerrio and Shujaa. On and on the games continued in the sludge. At one point, Nyambeni put her head in the water before emerging with very muddy eyes and shaking her head from side to side. A few minutes later, Mzinga and Shujaa lay almost completely submerged in the wallow while Kerrio squatted on the edge.

Raha was feeling feisty this morning. Clad in her blue blanket, she walked slowly out of her stable and up the path. Out in the bush, she did the occasional little hop between mouthfuls of browse. Coming across a fallen tree, Raha pushed it with her tiny horn, massaging her face while trying in vain to move the obstacle, and then dug a hole in the ground. Ever friendly, Mzinga and Nyambeni wandered over to greet her later in the morning. As they padded in her direction, rather than welcome them, Raha charged towards them. The two girls sensibly returned to the herd, leaving the rhino in peace.

The sun was shining in the afternoon, the forest floor was green, and the orphans were full of energy. They browsed and then played and then browsed some more. The older girls all love looking after little Wamata but today it was Sileita’s turn! Our mini matriarch stuck close to a rather wet Wamata (who had been wallowing in a puddle of rainwater) for the whole afternoon. Mushuru and Nyambeni were hanging out next to a tree stump. After standing together for a time, Mushuru massaged her backside against the tree, flicked it with her tail and kicked it with her back legs. Meanwhile, Nyambeni rubbed her face and trunk against a patch of dusty ground with her bottom in the air. Weka played with Muridjo and then sat down, wiggling her backside and trunk from side to side.

In the morning, Maxwell was sharing his pellets with the warthogs as Raha plodded out to forest behind her Keeper. Reaching an area of fresh green grass, the little rhino filled her belly and then lay down for a nap in the sunshine, still wearing her blue blanket.

At the mud bath later in the morning, almost all of the first group went swimming. They paddled and splashed, pushing against each other in the water like boisterous toddlers. They climbed out for a drink and a dusting and then got back in the muddy pool. Little Wamata watched on as Olomunyak lay on his side along the edge, Kerrio squatted half in and half out of the water, Taroha, Kamili and Latika slapped water along their backs while Nyambeni, Mzinga, Pardamat, Talek and Shujaa wallowed. Most of the second group also went swimming. Some paddled as Mukutan lay in the middle, sandwiched between best friends Choka and Loldaiga.

In the afternoon, the herd browsed around and played in a large muddy pool in the forest. Mageno rubbed his face along the ground while Nyambeni and Kerrio played the rubbing-and-clambering-all-over-each-other game in the water. When the girls moved on, Muridjo, Mageno and Mushuru took their place. Mageno sat on the edge while Muridjo and Mushuru pushed against him, paddled and splashed mud in every direction.

As always, the orphans visited the mud bath for a milk feed in the morning. The first group of younger elephants were in subdued moods, browsing quietly on greens or drinking from the water trough. The second group were livelier. Several orphans, including Kitich, Muwingu and Sholumai, paddled in the muddy pool while friendly Mageno stood close to the rope cordon, extending his trunk in greeting to the visitors.

The month ended with an afternoon of sunshine. The herd wandered far into the forest, browsing, dust bathing and playing. Mukutan and Choka played several rounds of the pushing game and then continued browsing on fresh green shoots following the recent rainfall. Mukutan twisted up clumps of grass and dumped them on his head, creating his own private stash of greens, while Choka put his greens straight into his mouth. On his best behaviour, Pardamat walked along behind Mushuru and Loldaiga, enjoying the company of the older orphans. Best friends Kerrio, Nyambeni, Mzinga, Muridjo and Shujaa played pushing and tussling games not far away while Sileita and Latika stayed close to Olomunyak, Talek, Taroha and Wamata. Talek found a tree that was the perfect size for a massage and spent a long time carefully rubbing her sides against the rough bark.