September brought two happy additions to our extended elephant family: Chaimu’s first baby and a surprise arrival from Sidai! Both babies made their debut later in the month.
The sky was clear in the morning when the orphans left the stockade and settled for lucerne. Only Tomboi showed up in the morning to represent the ex-orphans. After having enough lucerne, Naleku led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse in the Kanziku area. Roho, Kuishi, Kindani, Olorien, and Mayan took a break from feeding to have a game of playing on the ground. Later, Vaarti engaged Kinyei in a light pushing game.
The orphans browsed calmly up to mud bath time when Suguroi led the first group to the noon bottle feeds. Sattao picked a branch on the way and tried to peel the remaining bark but found out that it had dried up. Sattao dropped it down and wished he had not wasted his time and energy picking something that didn't help him at all. The sun was shining, and the orphans participated fully in the wallowing exercise, apart from Olorien, Bondeni, and Mukkoka, who boycotted the wallowing exercise. The orphans were joined briefly by Ishanga, Nasalot, Noah, and Nusu.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Larro teamed up with Roho while Mayan settled to browse with Vaarti. In the evening, Kindani led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans were joined by the ex-orphans and wild elephants for the feeding of lucerne in the morning. Three wild dogs showed up briefly at a distance from the stockade and ran towards the south. Mayan settled to scratch on a nearby rock when he felt that he had enough of lucerne. Kuishi had a brief interaction with Orwa and they later left together. Kuishi appeared to have delegated the duties of taking care of Esoit to Larro. The Keepers tried to call Kuishi to join her colleagues, but Kuishi wasn't interested as she wanted to spend the day with her seniors. The Keepers respected her decision and stopped bothering her with their calls.
At the browsing field, Vaarti settled to browse with Larro and Esoit while Lodo, Roho, and Mayan browsed a distance away from their colleagues. The sun was hot, and the orphans browsed calmly and slowly as they headed towards the mud bath. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans arrived at the mud bath and had their milk before getting into the water for a wallowing exercise. Kinyei, Mukkoka, Sattao, Bondeni, and Mayan skipped the wallowing exercise and headed straight to drink water. Their colleagues headed for a soil dusting exercise soon after wallowing.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Bondeni attempted to push Mayan, but Mayan didn't take it lightly, so he turned and defended himself fiercely. Their fight was stopped by Mukkoka, who happened to pass close by and warned the boys to stop fighting by pushing both of them in separate directions.
In the evening, Kindani led the way back to the stockade. Kuishi, who had arrived back an hour earlier with the group of ex-orphans, joined her bedmates Mukkoka and Sattao in getting into the stockade for yet another night.
The sky was clear in the morning, indicating a hot day ahead. The orphans settled for lucerne in the morning, where they were joined by the ex-orphans. An hour later, the orphans left for browsing after having enough lucerne. Kuishi decided not to join the ex-orphans but to spend the day with Esoit to compensate for the day she had been away partying with the ex-orphans. The sun became hot, prompting Larro and Roho to take a break from feeding and relax under a tree with nice shade.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Vaarti led the first group to the mud bath. All the orphans participated fully in the wallowing exercise soon after getting their milk. The orphans then headed for drinking water and were joined by Taita, who was with several of his wild friends. Kuishi greeted Taita and had a brief conversation before parting ways. The orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise soon after drinking water. Sattao, Mukkoka, and Larro were the last ones to quit the soil dusting exercise. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Esoit engaged Mayan in a strength-testing exercise while Lodo played with Suguroi.
In the evening, Kindani led the way back to the stockade.
This morning, the sky was partly covered by clouds. The orphans were let out after their morning milk. Kindani left with a leftover branch in her mouth that she continued to enjoy feeding on while waiting for the distribution of lucerne. The ex-orphans arrived early as usual and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Naleku, Suguroi, Vaarti, and Mayan interacted with the wild-born babies and later left running to join their colleagues when they realised that they had been left behind.
At the browsing field, Olorien settled to browse with Sattao while Esoit settled to browse with Larro and Kuishi. Lodo, Roho, and Mukkoka moved a distance away from their colleagues and had a boys' talk as they enjoyed browsing. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the sky was totally obscured by clouds, and Kinyei led the first group to the mud bath. The orphans had their milk and headed straight to drink water. The orphans were briefly joined by Tomboi and two other wild bulls. After drinking water, Mayan, Naleku, Esoit, Olorien, Kindani, and Suguroi settled for a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Lodo settled to browse with Kinyei while Roho teamed up with Vaarti. The remaining part of the day was quiet as the orphans concentrated more on browsing without any major observations.
The sky was clear in the morning. Sapalan, Melia, Milo, Mutara, Mambo, Kainuk, Suguta, Chemi Chemi, Turkwel, Sities, and Malkia arrived early and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Lodo had a brief interaction with Mambo before moving to greet Milo. Mambo moved over to Naleku and engaged her in a pushing game. Naleku understood that Mambo was only a baby looking for fun and so she handled him lightly and carefully. Mambo felt that he was not getting enough fun from Naleku and so moved to play with Esoit. Esoit didn't treat Mambo like a baby but handled him ruthlessly until Mambo ran away to his mother to report him.
On the way to the browsing field, Vaarti, Mayan, and Kindani came across a nice rock that they used to scratch their bellies and buttocks. At the browsing field, Roho and Vaarti took a break from feeding to have a strength-testing exercise that ended when Vaarti surrendered to Roho.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans headed to the mud bath, where they were joined by Mutara's group, Kalama, Kandecha, Melia, Milo, Kitirua, and several wild bulls. Shortly after, the ex-orphans headed east while Kitirua decided to give the orphans company before leaving for an undisclosed location. The orphans had water and then participated in a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Lodo played with Suguroi, and when the sun got too hot, the orphans headed for the roadside mud bath. After cooling off, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise and then resumed browsing.
In the evening, Kinyei led the way back to the stockades.
Only Malima and Ndiwa were outside the stockade when the orphans were let out after getting their morning milk. Vaarti settled at his usual rock for scratching while Ndiwa entwined her trunk with Kuishi in morning greetings. Ndiwa also questioned Kuishi about why it was taking too long for her to join them in the wild. Kuishi appeared to be upset by that question and simply walked away from Ndiwa. Half an hour later, the ex-orphans started trickling in and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. The orphans had already taken enough and started leaving one by one.
At the browsing field, Vaarti settled to browse with Lodo while Roho teamed up with Suguroi and Kinyei. The sun was getting hot, and Kindani, Kinyei, Olorien, Roho, Vaarti, Esoit, and Suguroi decided to browse under trees that had nice shade. Shortly before mud bath time, the weather changed. Clouds covered the sky, bringing a cooling effect.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk, then Esoit, Lodo, Suguroi, Vaarti, Mayan, Larro, and Naleku jumped into the mud wallowing water before heading for a soil dusting exercise. In the afternoon, the clouds cleared, giving way to sunshine. The orphans took a break from feeding to relax under trees with good shade. The orphans resumed browsing later when the temperatures dropped to a favourable level.
In the evening, Bondeni led the way back to the stockades.
The sky was clear as the orphans walked out from their stockades, ready to face another day. This was a sign of the hot day ahead. The orphans settled for some lucerne and were soon joined by three wild bulls. The ex-orphans, however, were late this morning, likely due to a long journey the previous night in search of greener pastures. They tend to walk farther at night when it's cooler and more comfortable. Naleku led the way to the browsing field, and the orphans settled to browse at the Kone area.
By around ten o'clock in the morning, the sun became scorching, prompting the orphans to seek shelter from the heat. While resting, Kuishi and Mukkoka raised their trunks, trying to reach the leaves at the top of the trees. At mud bath time, the orphans fully participated in wallowing. Suguroi and Lodo engaged in a strength-testing exercise, which continued even after they left the water. Their playful game ended when Sattao jumped over Lodo for a free ride.
In the evening, the orphans moved to the Imenti area to browse. Kuishi browsed with Esoit, while Kinyei paired up with Larro. Bondeni joined Kindani, and Vaarti stayed close to Mayan. As the day drew to a close, the orphans returned safely to their stockades.
Orwa and Mteto arrived at the stockade compound early before dawn and decided to wait until morning to share lucerne with the orphans. At six o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk before walking out to start their day. Only one wild bull showed up in the morning and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. The orphans enjoyed each moment of lucerne feeding since there wasn't any competition. After the orphans had enough lucerne, Larro led the way to the browsing field.
The day turned out to be a hot one. Kindani mostly concentrated on peeling bark from trees using her small tusks. Lodo had a disagreement with Suguroi over a branch broken by a wild elephant that they found fallen on the ground. Lodo decided to surrender when Suguroi threatened to fight him.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Olorien led the first group to the mud bath. The sun was hot, and soon after getting their milk, the orphans jumped into the mud for a cooling-off exercise. Only Sattao boycotted the wallowing exercise by dodging and disappearing without the Keepers' knowledge. The orphans had a spectacular wallowing and thereafter headed for a soil dusting exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The sun was still hot, prompting the orphans to take a break from feeding and relax under trees for some time before resuming browsing. In the evening, the orphans passed by the roadside mud bath to cool off before heading back to the stockades.
Several ex-orphans were present in the morning during lucerne feeding time. Kinyei was feeding close to Wema when all of a sudden Wema, who had also inherited her mother's traits, pushed her hard. Kinyei complained bitterly as she walked away. Kindani and Kuishi walked to her and comforted her by placing their trunks on her back.
Later, the orphans, led by Larro, headed east to the browsing field. As Bondeni walked confidently past Wendi, he got the shock of his life. The always grumpy Wendi knocked him to the ground without even giving a warning. Bondeni struggled to stand up, screaming and cursing Wendi. Kuishi, Kindani, Kinyei, and Suguroi sympathised with him since there was nothing they could do about Wendi, who is of superior size and strength. Recovering from this drama, the orphans browsed around the hill close to the stockade.
At around ten thirty in the morning, the orphans started trumpeting and running towards the mud bath. The Keepers couldn't establish the sudden tension and trumpets that prompted the orphans to run away. The orphans didn't make a stopover at the mud bath but continued running, heading west of Ithumba Hill. The Keepers breathed a sigh of relief when they finally located them west of Ithumba Hill and shepherded everyone to the mud bath, where they had a spectacular wallowing session after getting their milk.
The afternoon was quiet as they browsed calmly since they were tired after the morning drama. In the evening, the orphans passed by the mud bath for an evening cooling-off exercise. Later, Vaarti led the way back to the stockades.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockades. Shortly later, the ex-orphans showed up and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. A wild family with a newborn baby arrived at the stockades, drawing everyone's attention to the new baby. Naleku, who loves babies, was eager to join in and celebrate the arrival with the ex-orphans. The Keepers tried to call her, but she was completely absorbed in the excitement and didn’t respond at all.
The orphans later moved on to browse at the Kone area. Dololo emerged from the eastern side and briefly greeted Kindani before heading off to catch up with his group. Not long after, the orphans were joined by Loijuk, Lisha, Lili, Naseku, Olare, Sagateisa, Chaimu, Namalok, Bomani, Sunyei, Siku, Kalama, and Saba. Suguroi, Olorien, Kinyei, and Larro had a delightful time with Ola and Lisha.
At mud bath time, Olorien led the first group to the mud bath, followed by Kindani, who led the second group. Although the sun was scorching hot, the orphans didn’t get into the mud as the ex-orphans had already occupied it. Instead, they settled for a soil dusting exercise and took some water before heading back to the stockades.
In the evening, the orphans passed by the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off exercise. After cooling off, they were led by Kinyei back to the stockades, ready to settle in for another night. Naleku stopped only briefly to get her milk before joining ex-orphans Naisula, Nyx, Esampu, Vuria, Chyulu, Cheka, Charli, Wendi, Wema, and Wimbi.
Only Enkikwe, Kithaka, Sidai, Sita, Silas, Kauro, Mapia, Ambo, and two wild bulls showed up for the lucerne feeding this morning. The group that left with Naleku was nowhere to be seen. Naleku had left with Naisula, Nyx, Esampu, Chyulu, Cheka, Charli, Maramoja, Ndiwa, Roi, and Ukame. We were not worried, as we knew the ex-orphans would look after her.
After the orphans had enough of lucerne, Sattao led the way to the browsing field. Along the way, they came across a large tree that had been pushed down by a wild elephant. The orphans spent quite some time feasting on this fallen tree before moving on to search for their own food. They settled to browse at the Kone area and later walked slowly towards the mud bath.
At mud bath time, Vaarti led the way for the midday milk feeds. The temperatures were moderate, and the orphans participated fully in the wallowing exercise. Only Olorien, Mayan, Mukkoka, and Vaarti dodged and ran to the water trough to drink water. A wild bull joined them there briefly. Shortly afterward, the orphans had a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the sun became quite hot, prompting the orphans to take a break from feeding. They relaxed under the trees until the temperatures dropped to a more favourable level. In the evening, the orphans visited a roadside mud bath for a cooling-off exercise, and afterward, Bondeni led them back to the stockades.
Naleku was brought back by the ex-orphans at five o'clock in the evening, after spending close to 34 hours with them. She enjoyed her milk before heading into the stockade to join her friends.
The ex-orphans reported in large numbers this morning. The orphans were let out soon after taking their six o'clock milk and joined their seniors outside to share lucerne. Yogi interacted with Lodo, but at one point, they had a disagreement over something that wasn't immediately clear. Their disagreement escalated into a fight. Yoyo, Yogi's elder brother, stepped in to stop the two boys from fighting. Meanwhile, Naleku spent some time with Charli and Nyx.
After the orphans had their fill of lucerne, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. Naleku tried to dodge, but the Keepers were keeping a close eye on her, fully aware of her usual mission to try and run away with the wild-born babies. The orphans settled to browse north of the Kalovoto seasonal river. The sky was clear, and the sun was becoming hot, so Kindani, Larro, and Roho decided to feed under a tree that provided some good shade.
Later, the weather changed as clouds covered the sky, bringing the temperatures down. At eleven o'clock, Olorien led the first group to the mud bath while Kinyei led the second group. After having their milk, the orphans headed straight to the water trough, where they were joined by Mutara, Mambo, Suguta, Kainuk, Sities, Turkwel, Malkia, Melia, Milo, Kalama, Bomani, and two wild bulls. Vaarti and Mayan exchanged day greetings with Mambo and Milo before heading for a soil dusting exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. They focused on browsing without any major issues. At around four o'clock in the evening, they headed for the roadside mud bath and afterward returned to the stockade for another night.
Taita, Kitirua, Mteto, and Mutara’s ex-orphan group joined the orphans in the morning for their lucerne feeding. Larro spotted some guinea fowls and decided to chase them away before returning to join her colleagues in the feeding. Kuishi and Roho made their way down to the water trough to drink with a wild bull. However, Kuishi suddenly turned against Roho, pushing him away as she didn’t want him to overhear her conversation with the wild bull. Roho decided to move to another water trough to avoid any more trouble from Kuishi.
Meanwhile, Lodo engaged Mambo in a light pushing game, and Naleku interacted with Noah while Olorien had a brief conversation with Taita. Vaarti and Mayan took the lead as they made their way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area, and it was a quiet morning as they browsed calmly up until mud bath time.
Olorien led the first group to the mud bath for their midday milk. After taking their milk, the orphans eagerly jumped into the mud wallowing water for a cooling-off session. Challa and 12 wild bulls attended the mud bath as well. Afterward, the orphans quenched their thirst with some water and then participated in a soil dusting exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. They continued browsing calmly until five o'clock in the evening when Kinyei led the way back to the stockade.
Several ex-orphans spent the night outside the stockade. When morning came and the orphans had their early milk, Vaarti took the lead to guide them out. The orphans joined the ex-orphans outside, and they all shared the lucerne. The keepers distributed the lucerne to ensure there was enough for everyone.
There was a bit of drama when Nusu decided to carry an entire bale of lucerne and took it over to his mother and brother, who were some distance away. Nasalot then broke the string and nudged Nusu to go and bring another bale. Nusu refused, grabbed his share, and walked away, leaving Noah and Nasalot to share the remaining lucerne.
At the browsing field, the orphans were joined by Zurura, Namalok, Esampu, Vuria, Sapalan, Makireti, and Galla. The ex-orphans browsed alongside the orphans for nearly an hour before departing to an undisclosed location. The day was hot, so the orphans browsed calmly and slowly as they made their way toward the mud bath.
At eleven o'clock, Olorien led the first group to the mud bath, while Naleku led the second. Due to the high temperatures, the orphans jumped into the water right after having their milk. Once they had their fill of wallowing, they went to drink water and then engaged in a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Roho paired up with Vaarti, while Kinyei teamed up with Mayan. The rest of the day remained quiet as the orphans browsed calmly without any significant events.
After having their morning milk, the orphans left the stockades and settled down to enjoy some lucerne. Shortly after, Mutara and her group arrived and joined the orphans in feeding. Mambo found himself in a spot of trouble with Esoit when he attempted to take some food directly from Esoit's mouth. This bold move did not go down well, and Mambo quickly retreated to his mother, Mutara, for protection when things escalated. Esoit made it clear to Mambo not to repeat the mistake of taking food from his mouth again.
Milo also got into trouble when he was disrespectful to Larro, who responded by punishing him. After this incident, Milo walked over to Mayan, and they exchanged some ‘words’ before parting ways. Once they had their fill of lucerne, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly, indicating that a hot day was in store.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. Kinyei, Kindani, and Bondeni came across some loose soil and used it for a quick soil-dusting session. Meanwhile, Roho engaged in a brief strength-testing exercise with Lodo, while Sattao and Mukkoka browsed a little distance away from their friends.
At mud bath time, Suguroi led the first group, followed by Vaarti leading the second. During the mud bath, the orphans were joined by Mutara, Mambo, Suguta, Kainuk, Sities, Turkwel, Malkia, Melia, Milo, Kilaguni, and Kalama. The orphans enjoyed their mud bath, had some water, and engaged in a soil dusting exercise before returning to the browsing field. Kinyei had a brief interaction with Mambo before they bid each other goodbye.
The orphans moved south of the mud bath and settled to browse between Ithumba Hill and Imenti. Later in the day, as the temperatures became unbearable, Kuishi took her group to the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off session. In the evening, Esoit led the way back to the stockades.
Mutara, Suguta, Kainuk, Sities, Turkwel, Chaimu, Malkia, Mambo, and Garzi patiently waited outside the stockades for the orphans to join them so they could have lucerne. Garzi decided to lie down and rest while waiting. When the orphans were finally let out after their six o'clock milk, Mayan and Vaarti found Garzi sleeping and woke him up. Garzi thanked the two boys for waking him, as he had fallen into a deep sleep and almost missed lucerne feeding time.
Shortly afterward, Rapsu and several of his friends arrived. Rapsu headed straight for the lucerne while his friends settled for some water. Mambo had a long conversation with Sattao, but as it was time to leave for browsing, Sattao remained behind with the Mutara group. Realising later that his colleagues had already gone, Sattao raised his trunk to check which direction they had taken. After figuring it out, Sattao bid goodbye to Mambo and walked southeast to join the others.
Kuishi paired up with Esoit and Bondeni to browse, while Suguroi and Lodo engaged in a brief strength-testing exercise. The orphans browsed peacefully as they made their way towards the mud bath. Upon arrival, they found six bulls already enjoying the mud. The bulls quickly departed, giving the orphans space. After having their milk, the orphans skipped wallowing and went straight for a drink of water before settling into a dusting session.
Wild dogs made a brief visit to the mud bath, but they kept their distance from the elephants. Two of the wild bulls charged at the wild dogs, prompting them to move further away. Challa, who had joined the orphans for a drink, escorted them for a few metres towards the browsing field before returning to his wild companions.
The afternoon was calm as the orphans browsed quietly for the remainder of the day.
Kilabasi, Kofi, Lualeni, Lulu, Lexi, Neshashi, Kenze, and Kilaguni were the first to arrive at the stockade compound in the morning. The orphans had their six o'clock milk and then walked out to join the ex-orphans. Later, more ex-orphans showed up and joined the orphans for lucerne feeding. Once they had enough, Naleku led the way to the browsing field.
The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. Suguroi browsed with Vaarti while Larro paired up with Roho. As the day progressed, temperatures soared, prompting Kinyei and Mukkoka to seek shelter under a tree to escape the scorching sun. A wild bull passed by at a distance, and Mayan, curious, followed the bull. However, the Keepers stopped him, as the bull's destination was unknown.
At eleven o'clock, Kinyei led the first group to the mud bath. Ten wild bulls were already present, but they stepped back a few metres as the orphans arrived, allowing them space to wallow. Lodo led the orphans in a spectacular mud bath before leaving to drink water. The orphans then enjoyed a soil dusting session before returning to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans moved to the Imenti area to browse. As usual, Kuishi browsed with her favourite, Esoit. In the evening, Kindani led the way back to the stockade.
At six o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their milk, then walked out to join Queen’s family, who were waiting for lucerne outside. Shortly after, Kasigau, Naisula, Nyx, Yatta, Yogi, Yoyo, Karisa, Rapa, Kinna, Kama, Kaia, Buchuma, Lenana, Lapa, Kasigau, Loijuk, Lili, Lisha, Mteto, Chyulu, Cheka, Charli, Melia, Milo, Lualeni, Lulu, Lexi, and Namalok arrived and joined in the lucerne feeding.
Kinyei, Bondeni, and Kindani had a brief meeting and then walked down to the water trough to drink. They were joined by Kuishi, who had observed their movement and wanted to check if there was a problem. Kinyei, Kindani, and Bondeni informed Kuishi that everything was fine; they just wanted to be together. Later, the orphans headed out to browse.
The orphans settled to browse at Kone area, where they were joined by Melia and Milo, who were on their way elsewhere. Bondeni and Esoit held a brief meeting that turned into a playful pushing game. Olorien browsed with Mukkoka, while Suguroi teamed up with Lodo and Kindani. The orphans browsed calmly until mud bath time, when Larro led the first group to the water. The weather was chilly, so the orphans had their milk and water before heading back to the field.
Challa joined the orphans briefly but then engaged in a chase with some wild dogs near the mud bath. Eventually, Challa gave up and left for an undisclosed location. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Lodo, Bondeni, and Vaarti teamed up for browsing. Later, the clouds cleared, giving way to sunshine, and the orphans visited the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off session. In the evening, Mayan led the way back to the stockade.
The sky was partly obscured by clouds when the orphans left the stockade and settled for lucerne. A good number of ex-orphans and wild elephants showed up for the morning lucerne feeding. Lodo had a brief conversation with Orwa, while Naleku teamed up with Mambo before they parted ways. Naleku walked to greet Lisha but was blocked by Lili. Kinyei, Kindani, and Bondeni walked down to the water trough to join Naboishu and his friend Sana Sana, who were drinking water.
Once the orphans had enough lucerne, Suguroi led the way to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. Due to the persisting drought, the orphans focused on browsing to ensure they had enough to fill their stomachs before the day ended. The orphans browsed calmly until mud bath time, when Vaarti led the first group to the mud bath. Olare, Ola, Nabulu, Lenana, and Lapa joined the second group on the way to the mud bath and walked past the milk-feeding area to avoid disrupting the event.
The temperatures were moderate, and only Lodo, Roho, Kindani, Suguroi, Naleku, and Larro fully participated in the wallowing exercise. Six wild bulls arrived at the water trough and were politely requested by the Keepers to give way for the orphans to drink. The wild bulls stepped back and allowed the orphans to quench their thirst. After having enough water, the orphans enjoyed a soil-dusting session before heading back to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, Kuishi teamed up with Esoit and Roho for browsing. Vaarti and Mayan browsed at a distance from their colleagues but rejoined them later as they returned to the stockade.
A handful of ex-orphans and wild elephants showed up in the morning and joined the orphans in feeding on lucerne. Larro walked down to the water trough and joined Bomani for a drink. Later, Larro moved to Sita and tried to harass him by pushing him around. Sita decided to dodge Larro instead of confronting her. Roho had a brief meeting with Sana Sana and shortly afterward walked down to the water trough, discussing something that was not revealed to anyone.
At the browsing field, Mayan and Vaarti began their day by engaging in a pushing game that lasted for quite some time. Lodo settled to browse with Kindani, while Suguroi teamed up with Naleku. As the day progressed, the sun became hot, prompting Mayan, Olorien, Larro, Kinyei, and Bondeni to feed under trees with good shade.
At mud bath time, Vaarti led the first group for their noon bottle feeds. The orphans were joined by Mulika, Mwende, Mkuu, Mala, Yatta, Yetu, Yoyo, Yogi, Yebo, and a wild elephant. Naleku, Suguroi, and Mayan interacted briefly with Yebo and Yogi before settling into a soil-dusting exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of the Ithumba area. The sun was still hot, so the orphans took a break from feeding to relax under trees until the temperatures dropped to a more comfortable level. In the evening, the orphans stopped at the roadside mud bath for an evening cooling-off session. After cooling down, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.
The orphans were joined by several ex-orphans for their morning lucerne feed. Notably, Orok appeared to have been involved in a fight with another bull, as both his tusks were broken at the ends. Roho had a misunderstanding with Gawa, which escalated into a fight, but it ended when Roho surrendered. Olorien also stood her ground when Gala tried to push her, teaching the young girl a lesson that sent her running back to her mother, Galana. Galana didn’t react, as she understood that her baby had been in the wrong.
At the browsing field, Vaarti took a break from feeding to enjoy rolling on the ground. Bondeni played with Esoit, while Mukkoka engaged in a playful tussle with Mayan. The rest of the morning remained peaceful as the orphans browsed quietly until it was time for their mud bath. Kindani led the first group to the water, but although the temperatures were moderate, none of the orphans felt compelled to step into the mud for a bath. Instead, they drank water and had a soil dusting session before heading back to the browsing field.
The orphans then settled to browse at Kanziku and continued to graze calmly for the rest of the day, with no major incidents.
Kindani left the stockade with a branch in her mouth, enjoying it while waiting for the distribution of lucerne. As she savoured her snack, Noah passed by, snatched the branch from her mouth, and ran straight to his mother, Nusu. Kindani, knowing Noah had his mother’s protection, didn’t bother to chase after him. Suguroi interacted with Iman, Gala, and Charli, who were accompanied by their mothers for the morning lucerne session.
Once the orphans had eaten their fill, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. Bondeni engaged Lodo in a playful pushing game, while Esoit had a similar game with Vaarti. Sattao discovered a peeled acacia tree and busied himself stripping away the remaining bark. Just before mud bath time, the orphans were briefly joined by ex-orphans Kinna, Kama, Kaia, Lenana, and Lapa. Lapa attempted to push Mukkoka, but was taken by surprise when Sattao, Roho, and Larro teamed up against him. Realising he was outmatched, Lapa quickly retreated to his mother for safety.
At the mud bath, Lodo led Naleku and Olorien in the first group. The temperatures were moderate, and Sattao, Kindani, Roho, Suguroi, Vaarti, and Kinyei fully participated in the wallowing exercise. Dad and five of his friends visited the mud bath, but stepped aside to allow the orphans to approach. After quenching their thirst, the orphans indulged in a soil dusting session before heading back to the browsing field.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled west of Ithumba Hill to browse. Around two o’clock, the clouds cleared, and the sun began to blaze. To avoid the heat, the orphans took a break, resting under trees until the temperature became more bearable. As the day cooled down, they resumed browsing. In the evening, the orphans stopped at the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off session before returning to the stockade for the night.
Yatta, Yogi, Yoyo, Naseku, Motomo, and several wild bulls arrived at the stockade compound early before dawn. The orphans had their milk at six o'clock in the morning, then walked out to start their day. Kuishi entwined her trunk with Naseku in morning greetings. Afterwards, the two girls held a meeting that lasted for quite some time. More ex-orphans continued to check in, heading straight to share the lucerne with the orphans. When it became crowded, the orphans, led by Naleku, decided to give the ex-orphans space by walking to the browsing field.
It was a quiet morning. The orphans concentrated more on browsing as the drought continued. The orphans didn’t waste any time, as this would mean ending the day without getting enough. At mud bath time, Olorien led the first group while Suguroi led the second. The sun was hot, and this prompted Larro, Lodo, Roho, Kinyei, Suguroi, and Esoit to participate fully in the wallowing exercise. Larro and Lodo were the last ones to quit wallowing.
Challa, with five wild bulls, was relaxing under an acacia tree when the orphans walked to the water trough to drink. After drinking water, the orphans settled for a soil dusting exercise and then returned to the browsing field. The orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. Mayan settled to browse with Vaarti, while Kuishi teamed up with Larro and Esoit. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockades.
After getting their morning milk, the orphans were let out and joined several ex-orphans that were waiting for lucerne outside. Kuishi, who is finally becoming interested in spending time with the ex-orphans, engaged Barsilinga in a light strength-testing exercise. Naleku and Suguroi engaged Noah and Saba in running battles. Lodo engaged Nusu in a strength-testing exercise before surrendering, while Vaarti and Mayan settled to share a pile of lucerne. The orphans had enough lucerne and decided to head for browsing. Galla, Vuria, Mapia, Enkikwe, and Kithaka joined the orphans in the Kone area. Kuishi engaged Galla in a prolonged pushing game as Mapia played Mukkoka and Sattao.
At around ten o'clock in the morning, Kithaka, Enkikwe, Galla, and Mapia left for an undisclosed location. The orphans browsed slowly as they headed towards the mud bath. The temperatures were moderate, and the orphans skipped the wallowing exercise. They had their milk and water before settling for a soil dusting exercise. In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill, browsing calmly throughout the remaining part of the day.
In the evening, Chaimu and Mutara’s group came to the stockade for water. Shortly thereafter, Mutara group left, but Chaimu remained close to the stockade area. The Keepers quickly realised that Chaimu was in labour, which is why she remained behind. An hour and a half later, Chaimu gave birth close to the upper stockade water trough. As Chaimu pushed her newborn baby to his feet, Ambo emerged from nowhere, but Chaimu promptly chased him away. Half an hour later, the baby was able to stand steadily and started following his mother. We have named him Chapa.
Later that night, Mutara’s ex-orphan herd came to collect the mum and baby.
Chaimu and her newborn baby arrived in the morning in the company of Lenana, Kinna, Kama, Olare, Olare, Sagateisa, Mulika, Sunyei, Siku, Ishanga, Ukame, and Mkuu. Suguroi and Naleku tried to join and have a glimpse of the baby, but his protective older nannies quickly squashed their hopes. The two orphans gave up and decided to wait for an appropriate time.
Shortly afterwards, the orphans left for browsing, leaving the ex-orphans celebrating the arrival of the new baby. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area, where Larro teamed up with Esuit, Bondeni, Roho, and Olorien in browsing. Kuishi spent most of her time peeling bark from trees.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, Kinyei led the first group to the mud bath. The sun was hot, and soon after getting their milk, the orphans jumped into the water for a cooling-off exercise. Challa, with three wild friends, joined the orphans in wallowing and thereafter left to an undisclosed location.
After the orphans had enough of wallowing, Naleku led the way for the soil-dusting exercise and later settled to drink water before heading back to the browsing field. In the afternoon, the sun was still hot, and the orphans took a break from feeding and relaxed under trees until the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. Later, the orphans visited the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off exercise and then returned safely to the stockades.
The orphans settled for lucerne soon after leaving the stockade. Several ex-orphans were present with their wild-born babies. Mayan had a great time with Tembo and Sana Sana. Vaarti joined Ishanga and had a brief conversation before parting ways.
When the orphans had enough lucerne, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. At the browsing field, the orphans were joined by Chaimu, Chapa, and Maramoja. Naleku, Suguroi, and Larro had a brief interaction with Chapa before Maramoja blocked them.
The orphans browsed calmly up until mud bath time when Olorien led the way to the mud bath. The sun was hot, the orphans had their milk, then jumped into the water for a cooling-off exercise. Dad, Kilaguni, and several wild bulls were present and waited until the orphans quit before getting into the mud for a cooling-off exercise.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The orphans browsed calmly up to five o'clock in the evening when Kinyei led the way back to the stockades.
12 wild bulls were drinking water at the stockade trough when the orphans were let out. The orphans settled for lucerne, giving the visitors a respectful distance. Shortly later, Mutara’s ex-orphan group arrived and helped themselves to lucerne.
Mayan walked down and briefly joined the bulls in drinking water. Luckily enough, the bulls didn't turn hostile toward him. After getting enough water, Mayan returned to join his colleagues in feeding on lucerne. Bondeni settled to scratch on a nearby rock while Naleku held a brief meeting with Mambo.
At the browsing field, the orphans were joined by Sapalan, Enkikwe, Mundusi, Kauro, and Rapa. Larro and Roho engaged Mundusi in a pushing game. Mundusi defeated the two orphans and thereafter left for an undisclosed location. Kindani settled to browse with Kuishi while Mukkoka browsed with Sattao and Lodo.
At mud bath time, Kinyei led the way, followed by Bondeni and Esoit. The orphans had their milk, then water, before settling into a soil-dusting exercise.
After mud bath time, we were treated to an unexpected surprise: Sidai brought her newborn baby to the stockade. This is her third baby, and unlike the other Ithumba ex-orphans, Sidai does not return home immediately after giving birth to share her newborns with us. She is independent and private. We have named her newest baby, another boy, Sid.
There was drama when Silas, her second baby, wanted to share nursing with his new younger brother. Sidai tried to block Silas from nursing. Silas cried and complained, but his mother didn't change her mind. Silas got angry and walked away.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The orphans had a quiet afternoon and later visited the roadside mud bath for a cooling-off exercise.
Both new babies, Sid and Chapa, were present in the morning. They were in the company of their mothers and nannies. Suguroi tried her best to get attention from Chapa, but Chapa seemed occupied with his mother. Naleku kept cool and minded her own business of feeding.
Sidai decided to go and drink water, with Sid following her. As mum enjoyed drinking water, Sid fell into the water trough while the nannies competed for his attention. There was bellowing and trumpeting as Sidai and her colleagues tried to rescue the baby. As we prepared to step in, Sid made a third attempt at climbing the water trough wall and finally succeeded in getting himself out. Sidai took him far away from the stockade water trough.
At the browsing field, Roho played with Kindani, while Kinyei played with Lodo and Suguroi. The orphans settled to browse at Kone area and browsed calmly until mud bath time when Roho led the first group to the mud bath. After getting their milk, the orphans participated in wallowing and thereafter headed to drink water.
In the afternoon, the orphans settled to browse west of Ithumba Hill. The sun was hot, and the orphans took a break from feeding and relaxed under trees until the temperatures dropped to a favourable level. In the evening, the orphans passed by the roadside mud bath for an evening cooling-off exercise.
The two new babies, Sid and Chapa, were present in the morning with their mothers and friends. The orphans were let out soon after getting their morning milk. There was much competition amongst the nannies over who would get close to Chapa and Sid.
The orphans stood no chance of interacting with the new babies, so Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. Lodo engaged Bondeni in a pushing game that didn't last long as Bondeni opted to surrender. Kindani settled to browse with Roho, while Larro teamed up with Esoit. The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly, indicating a hot day ahead.
The orphans settled in the Kone area and browsed calmly until eleven o'clock in the morning, when Kinyei led Naleku and Esoit in the first group for the milk feed. Chaimu, Chapa, Kitirua, Oltaiyoni, Mutara, Mambo, Kainuk, Suguta, Turkwel, and Sities showed up at the mud bath and shortly afterward headed south. Twenty-five wild bulls arrived at the mud bath, which is an indication of how dry it is — now, the only available water for drinking and mud bathing can be found at the mud bath or stockade area. The orphans didn't stay for long because of the presence of many bulls, as they couldn't compete with them in mud bathing. The orphans decided to go for the roadside mud bath, where they enjoyed a cooling-off exercise.
The orphans settled west of Ithumba Hill and browsed calmly throughout the remainder of the day.
The orphans joined the ex-orphans outside the stockade soon after taking their morning milk. Sid and Chapa were present and continued to draw the attention of everyone in the area. Suguroi seemed to be most interested in Sid. Sidai allowed Suguroi to be close to her baby. Later, Naleku joined in and had a good time with Sid. Vaarti engaged Iman in a light pushing game while Mayan and Bondeni found a nice rock that they used to scratch their bellies.
Shortly later, Kuishi led the way to the browsing field. Kindani teamed up with Lodo in browsing, while Kuishi settled to browse with Esoit. The orphans settled to browse in the Kone area. The sun was hot, and the orphans browsed slowly and calmly as they headed towards the mud bath. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the orphans had their midday milk and thereafter jumped into the wallowing water. After cooling off, the orphans settled for water and a soil-dusting exercise, changing the colour of the mud from black to red.
Larro led the way back to the browsing field. The orphans took a break from feeding and relaxed under trees until the temperatures dropped to a favourable level before resuming browsing. In the evening, Vaarti led the way back to the stockade.