The month began with a record-breaking sprint. As Mwana dashed to the milk feed and mud bath, she broke her own speed record. In celebration, the baby kicked the bottle that was waiting for Amali. When a Keeper gave her an empty bottle to play with, Mwana cheerfully punted it like a football.
Maktao is showing us that he is growing up. One evening, a wild herd arrived behind the stockades and interacted with the ex-orphans. Maktao, who was already in bed, decided this was a party he wanted to be part of. He pushed and pulled at his stockade until the Keepers were forced to let him out. Maktao headed right into the forest, where Alamaya was waiting to collect him.
Both Maktao and Kiombo feel that they have become big babies, as opposed to babied babies. While they remain dependent on our care for the most part, they are ready to join the other nightclubbers for the odd night out in the forest. Mostly, they want to associate with Sonje and Mwashoti.
Little Kapei is not yet ready for such adventures, but sometimes he gets swept away in the action! One day, he was misled by Kiombo and Maktao. Kapei thought he was just joining them for a brief jaunt away from the dependent herd, but the boys had other plans. When it was home time, everyone made their way into their bedrooms — everyone except Kapei, that is. He had followed Maktao, Kiombo, Mwashoti, and Sonje to the Chyulu Hills, and they failed to bring him back for bedtime.
Very early the next morning, the Keepers found Kapei waiting outside with his lovely friend, Sonje. Kapei has great confidence in Sonje and trusts whatever she advises him to do; that night, he just followed her without a second thought. We also have complete faith in Sonje, and while Kapei is too young to be a regular nightclubber, we know that she will look out for him.
Mwashoti is an excellent big brother and mentor as our younger orphans explore their independence. One evening, he took Enkesha and Kapei on an evening excursion to meet some of his wild friends. At 6 o’clock — an hour after the other orphans had returned home — the pair got thirsty for their milk. Mwashoti escorted them back to the stockades, where their bottles were waiting. His babysitting mission complete, he walked back into the forest to join Sonje and her team.
We have noticed that Amali and Kiasa are becoming great friends, bonded by their shared duties of nannying Mwana. Mwana treats the girls like big sisters and spends large chunks of her day in their care. Murera trusts the nannies implicitly and has no problem with them taking Mwana away – truth be told, we think she appreciates the break!
Amali is also good friends — and, in equal measure, rivals — with her age-mate, Kapei. Kapei can be a real pest to her and Mwana, but no one can stay mad at him for long. One morning, Amali and Kapei united to banish a troupe of baboons from the pellets corner. Trumpeting and bush bashing, the youngsters pursued the monkeys into the forest, so the orphans could enjoy their morning treats in peace. Sonje, Lima Lima, and Murera rumbled their support of the mission but let the youngsters enjoy their moment of glory.
Because of the dry conditions, wildlife have been flocking to the Kibwezi Forest for food and water. One day, several wild bulls accompanied Sonje and friends to Umani Hills. The Keepers stayed at the back to ensure the visitors didn’t bother Murera. However, they were very friendly, even towards the Keepers, and clearly came in peace. As we have seen in Voi and Ithumba, wild visitors seem to know that we are a trusted presence. The ex-orphans are excellent at bridging this gap, especially the bulls. In Umani, Ziwa, Faraja, Jasiri, and Alamaya have become elephant ambassadors, introducing us to their wild friends.
Murera, our steadfast matriarch, is a gentle leader — but she runs a tight ship! The orphans know her rules and respect them without question. For instance, Murera does not like to join the group wallow in the mud bath. She prefers a peaceful solo swim, sometimes with Mwana and Amali. One afternoon, as usual, she stood waiting at the side of the waterhole until the others were finished swimming. After a while, however, Murera lost patience and barged her way into the pool. The others made a speedy exit, giving their matriarch the space she wanted.
Sonje is our master diplomat. One day, a squabble broke out between Lima Lima and Zongoloni over who got to babysit little Mwana. Mwana was happy to be with either nanny, but both girls greedily didn’t want to share her. Sonje stopped the fight by standing between the girls, allowing Mwana to suckle from Lima Lima first and then Zongoloni.
Like her peers, Maktao and Kiombo, Enkesha is starting to explore her independence. One afternoon, Zongoloni noticed that Enkesha was missing from the dependent herd. The older girl clearly had a hunch as to where she had gone — and sure enough, tracked her down a few minutes later, hanging out with a group of wild elephants. Enkesha was reluctant to leave, as she had been courting a little baby. However, the baby’s older sister objected to Enkesha’s presence and sent her away to Zongoloni. For now, Enkesha will have to make do with nannying Mwana.
Our expectant girls — Zongoloni, Lima Lima, and Sonje — are entering the moody stage of their pregnancies. One morning, they were feeling particularly mercurial. They ignored Mwashoti, pushed Kapei away, and even showed no interest in socialising with their Keepers. But then, Quanza moved over to Sonje and all became well. The girls hugged, everyone’s moods lifted, and the herd headed to the Chyulu Hills.
Mood swings aside, our ‘scout’ Lima Lima is as reliable as ever. One day, the orphans disrupted some crane birds, who flew into the acacia trees and waited for the elephants to move aside. We couldn't understand why the birds were hanging around, but Lima Lima soon discovered the reason: The cranes had laid eggs nearby and were hesitant to fly down to their nest, fearing they might draw attention. Lima Lima spotted the eggs and signalled to the Keepers, who then redirected the babies away to prevent anyone from accidentally stepping on them. Once the elephants had left the area, the cranes flew down from the trees and returned to their nest.
The month ended with another great Lima Lima moment. While the elephants fanned out in the forest, she came running back to her Keepers. Seeing her purposeful gait, we remarked, "Lima Lima must be coming back with a warning." Sure enough, she wanted to inform us about a hyena she had spotted hunting a dik-dik. Thanks to Lima Lima, the hyena’s plan was not successful, sparing her Keepers from an unwelcome run-in and saving the dik-dik.