The orphaned elephants:

Clever Korbessa likes to be first for everything, especially feeding times. She follows Toto like a little shadow — or more accurately, she forces him to be her big shadow! Sometimes, they run back to the stockades for a midday break, just like Toto used to do when he was a baby. They sip water from the troughs and spend a few minutes hanging out with the Keepers on stockade duty, before rejoining the herd in the bush.

Korbessa is many things, but she is certainly not patient. We let her out first in the morning — as if she would have it any other way! She then marches over to Toto’s stable and deftly unlocks his door. This month, Korbessa created a little hole in the partition between her and Toto’s stables, so they can more easily say hello to each other during the night. Toto uses this opening to his advantage, snaking his trunk through to snatch Korbessa’s food. But Korbessa is vigilant and firmly reprimands her ‘brother’ when she spots him stealing. However, it doesn’t work both ways — Korbessa steals Toto’s food from his stable, but Toto never retaliates! 

Our lovely boy Toto is growing up and getting more independent. He treats Korbessa like his little sister and protects her all the time. Toto respects her and always defers to her wishes. He is very gentle and patient with his little sister. Even when he plays with Korbessa, he is careful not to push her with his full weight — this is in stark contrast toNatibu, who barrels over in full force.

Toto used to be very dependent on his Keepers. We even had to show him how and when to drink water. Now, he does all these big boy tasks by himself. He is still quite reluctant when it comes to the mud bath, but the Keepers coax him into the mud so we can protect his skin with a thick layer of wet earth. He is happy to be the last to feed, waiting for the rest of his friends to have their bottles before having his. 

Natibu and Toto have become great friends. They even look alike, like brothers, although they come from different parts of Kenya. Even we occasionally confuse the two! Perhaps Toto’s gentle nature is rubbing off on Natibu. Natibu used to be very pushy and naughty, but he has transformed into a mostly friendly and polite bull. It is as if he has finally embraced his new life. 

With that said, he does not treat Korbessa like the small baby she is. Instead, he plays with her like she is one of his peers. Sometimes Korbessa gets scared by his bullishness, but the Keepers are teaching Natibu that he must be gentle and not jump on her. At heart, Natibu is a nice boy, he just needs to learn how to regulate his strength for smaller playmates.

Natibu is also an excellent time-keeper: He is the first to the midday milk feeding and the first to come home in the evening. We call him Kaluku’s resident clock!

Mwinzi is the big brother to Toto, Natibu, and Korbessa. Although he is not much older, he is an important mentor, showing them how to do things and leading the way. While he is happy to set an example, Mwinzi is a notably independent elephant who cherishes his alone time. He often hides in the bushes, taking a few minutes away from the other orphans and his Keepers.

Mwinzi is not scared of other animals. He enjoys playing with Kaluku’s orphaned ostriches, Bam and Boozle. The birds run around, legs flying and necks waffling to and fro, while stout Mwinzi trumpets after them. Mwinzi is also unfazed by the presence of wild elephants. When he smells them or finds their footprints, he wants to follow them.  

Chamboi the orphaned rhino:

Chamboi is intelligent, friendly, and growing quickly. He is very playful, especially in the mornings and evenings, when it is a bit cooler. During these times, he can usually be found sprinting at breakneck speed, his cherry red blanket swaddled snugly around his belly.

During the heat of the day, Chamboi rotates between browsing, dust baths, and naps in the shade. He has a healthy appetite for both greens and milk. He also enjoys the mud bath, which is a fairly new addition to his daily routine.

Chamboi is very fond of his Keepers and diligently plods after them. He makes a funny squeaking noise when he wants something— when we hear that sound, we know that he is making a request, be it milk or water or fresh food. The Keepers are quick to answer his demands.

Twiggy the orphaned giraffe:

Twiggy is getting very, very big. She likes to follow the baby elephants, keeping clear of any wild animals she smells in the vicinity. Throughout the day, she often returns back to the stockades to hang out with the Keepers and drink fresh water. Once she has had her fill, she strides back out to the bush, making a beeline for wherever the orphaned elephants and their Keepers happen to be. Twiggy also likes to join Chamboi and his two Keepers. 

We call Twiggy our security — with her excellent senses, she is the first to alert the Keepers of any wild animals in the area. Be it lions, wild dogs, or any other wildlife, she lets us know. 

Interestingly Twiggy is most frightened of the smallest and most harmless creatures: vervet monkeys, baboons, and even tiny antelope. If she comes across some dik-diks fighting in the bush, she bolts back to the stockades and lingers worriedly by the Keepers. We have to give her food to soothe her nerves!

Apollo the orphaned rhino:

This month marked exactly one year since Apollo moved to Rhino Base. He is thriving — getting bigger, more independent, and calmer — and visibly enjoys his new home. 

It is the peak of the dry season in Tsavo, particularly in Apollo’s patch. He still has plenty of food, and we continue to supplement his diet, but there is markedly less browse to be found. This is a reality wild rhinos must contend with, and having dry season ‘practice’ under our watchful eye is good experience for Apollo. 

While Apollo is starting to look every inch a magnificent adult rhino, it will be a few years yet until he is fully grown. He spends his days mostly on his own schedule, while his Keepers provide guidance and company as needed. But every so often, we see glimmers of the tiny baby we rescued five years ago: When he wants something or is upset, Apollo still emits a high-pitched squeak, not unlike the noise tiny Chamboi makes!

* Apollo is now at Rhino Base, in Tsavo East National Park