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DIARIES : |
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Monthly Diary Reports
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December
2002
Burra was taken by surprised, in he went, and the doors were hurriedly closed. Meanwhile, Mpala and Seraa, sensing that something unusual was afoot involving their friends, were frantically trying to climb out of their stables, feeling vulnerable and frightened without their Keepers, who were occupied loading the others. For a few days the Nursery seemed unusually quiet, and Seraa very obviously missed Thoma sorely, to whom she was very close, but she was thrilled to have little Wendi all to herself, and very caring and attentive to her, so she soon forgot her sadness. Thoma and Seraa adore Wendi, but the boys, Sosian, Mpala, Solango and Burra are wary of the tiny newcomer, and with ears outspread prefer to give her a wide berth whenever she joins them. It rained for the first time on the 5th, bringing on a welcome flush of green for the older babies, all of whom have had a good month. Sosian complains loudly every time his bottle is finished, and still often removes himself from crowds of people, waiting to join the others from the nearby bush as they leave. The Nursery Elephant that loves Wendi best is "Seraa", and we are pleased about this, because once the country turns green down in Tsavo, Thoma, Burra and Sosian and possibly Solango, will be going down to join the others. Thoma can be assured of a great reunion and welcome from Mweya and Sweet Sally, with whom she shared her Nursery companions and whom she missed sorely when they left. What a joy it will be for her when she finds them both there to comfort and reassure, and gentle her introduction to all the other bigger elephants. Sosian and Burra will have each other and I have no doubt that they will be able to hold their own amongst the junior set such as Nyiro and Mukwaju and learn to respect their olders, such as Salama, and Laikipia. Mpala will then be the only boy in the Nursery, but Seraa will be there for him and to "mother" tiny Wendi. Elephants are truly friendly animals and they live just as we live as humans. At the Nursery we have Thoma who is the group leader of the young elephants, Burra, Solango, Seraa, Mpala and Sosian who is older than Thoma and a male. He tends to stay a bit removed from the others who tend to give him respect. If one disturbs him or refuses him his way, he just responds by pushing them, but that doesn't mean he doesn't like them, only that just like us, big boys like to be boss over the young. Friday is hectic because it is the day they have coconut oil on their skin. Not all enjoy it, especially Buraa. When he smells coconut oil, he is off and if you call him, he goes further. Sosian got used to it much faster and his skin is now soft. Thoma, Seraa, Solango and Mpala don't have any problem, but at times they tend to refuse, so we trick them by giving them a bucket of water to play with and that way we can get through. Feeding time at night is full of drama, especially with Buraa, who cries, rumbles, and kneels down with front legs and head in the straw, trying to lift the Keeper from his bed! This starts as soon as he hears the first sound of buckets outside. In the next stable we have Solango waking up his Keeper by taking off the blanket and starting to suck, which carries on until the milk bottles arrive. Thoma will come right up to the Keeper's head and rest her trunk on his head while making small rumblings. Thoma has respect. She will lift the blanket up gently, not like Solango, who is much rougher. Seraa is rough like Solango. She will come directly to the Keeper, slap him several times with her trunk while rumbling and there is no response, she turns round and kicks with her back leg. But, that is a great show, because she was usually lazy, drinking slowly, but nowadays she is one of the active elephants in the Nursery. It has been a quiet month in the Nairobi Nursery, with all the babies thriving and gaining weight. Looking back at photographs that depict them as they were when they came in, terrified, emaciated and staring death in the face, it is hard to remember that they were ever that bad. Little Seraa has grown and is even portly, though still tiny for her age, whilst Solango is now almost the same size as Sosian and Burra, and Thoma just a touch taller. Deep friendships have been forged. Sosian and Solango are inseparable, Thoma and Seraa have a strong female bond that will last for life, and Burra and Mpala are best buddies. Thoma and Seraa, our two little females, are the best of friends, Solango and Sosian likewise, whilst Burra has teamed up with Mpala, so that each one is content with a special friend. Mpala is gradually putting on weight, the prominent cheek bones slowly becoming less so. Burra is now so plump around the face that his cheek bones have disappeared entirely in fat little cheeks, and it is hard to believe that he is the same emaciated and starving little elephant that came to us in such desperate straits only a short time ago. Solango has shot up, leaving Seraa way behind in size. She is still tiny, but also nicely rounded, with the cheekiest little face and a great zest for life. She is a hot favourite with all the guests due to her miniature stature, and she also has a very endearing personality. Thoma, as the Mini Matriarch of the Nursery, enjoys throwing rank, very conscious of her status. She is greatly loved and respected by all the Nursery inmates and especially by Mpala and Burra who often lay their trunks across her back in a show of affection, but it is little Seraa who is never far from her side. Solango has grown enormously, shooting up and overtaking little Seraa in size, despite having been the same upon arrival. He and Burra are great friends, and now almost the same size, and they have been happy to embrace into the fold little Mpala making a Nursery trio of baby bulls. Thoma has been fulfilling her Matriarchal role with relish, but finding the three boys something of a handful. She is particularly caring of little Seraa, the only other female and also the smallest calf in the Nursery. Although, Seraa has put on a lot of weight, and now has chubby cheeks as a baby should, she is still the "shorty" of the Nursery set. I have no doubt that she, too, will suddenly shoot up, because by the time calves are four or five years old, the age gap seems to close and they enter a period of all being roughly the same size. She is a lovable and very gentle little elephant, small for her age, but always impeccably behaved - in short essentially a very sweet and mild natured little character, who captures the hearts of all who meet her, and has overtaken Mweya in terms of fostering popularity. All the Nursery inmates continued to thrive throughout May. Thoma missed Mweya sorely. For a day or two she searched for her, checking Mweya's Nursery stable every evening, and scouring the bush out in the park where the Nursery orphans spend their days. Eventually she settled down, and slotted into her new role as mini Matriarch, teaming up with Seraa, who previously had always been something of a loner. The arrival of little "Mpala" on the 31st was a welcome distraction for Thoma and all the Nursery babies.
Thankfully, it has been an uneventful and satisfying month for us all in the Nairobi Nursery, with no sudden scares, other than Sweet Sally developing what we now know as an "Elephant Wart". Fortunately, this was on her trunk and not on the eyelid as was the case with Mweya. Solango has shot up! Having once been the same size as little Seraa, he now towers over her, but then he did not have the complications that almost cost Seraa her life in early infancy. He is a playful little elephant, and quite a "show off" too, delighting in thrilling any onlookers with his funny antics. Meanwhile little Seraa, as the baby of the group, is greatly cherished by all, humans as well as the other orphans. She is a dear little elephant with a warm personality, always well behaved and not as exuberant as the others, but playful and happy and, above all, so far, keeping very well. This month we have been anxiously awaiting the possible arrival of a little Sudanese orphan named "Fil Fil". At our end, we have organised everything, so it now remains for the bureaucratic wheels to turn - a request at Governmental level from the Sudanese to the Kenya Government to accept the elephant, (which has happened), but then the CITES Import and Export Permits from the relevant CITES Management authorities in both countries to enable the elephant to legally cross the International Boundaries. I don't think anyone can be impressed with the ability of CITES to save elephants, and it will be a pity indeed if their bureaucracy costs the life of this little orphan, whom, we are told, is not thriving in its present surroundings.
Mercifully it has been a quiet and healing month for all 6 Nursery babies. Mweya has settled into her role as Mini Matriarch, lording it over all the others with supreme confidence, and thrilling the crowds that come to view the babies between 11 a.m. and 12 noon every day with her antics. Little Seraa, although still looking a little fragile, has remained healthy and happy, gaining weight steadily and joining in the fun and games. She is much quieter than the others, a gentle little elephant with a beautiful face, but with a very strong determination and a mind of her own. In character she reminds us of Kinna. This year is a CITES year, when the International Convention for Trade in Endangered Species meets later this year in South America to discuss the trading of endangered species, amidst the usual mounting pressure from the Southern African States to lift the Ivory Ban and allow their sizeable stockpiles of ivory onto the market. Whenever CITES looms up, there is always an upsurge in poaching, since illegal ivory can be laundered more easily into the legal system. This year has been no exception, with the slaughter of 10 elephants recently in the Northern Area of Tsavo East, something that is of deep concern, not just to us but to all the orphan foster-parents as well. Of course, as long as there is a market for ivory, no elephant anywhere is safe in Africa, but I would like to reassure our supporters that the incident took place some 60 miles from the Voi Stockades and our orphans, so they were not involved. Also, the Field Force Rangers have done an excellent job in bringing the perpetrators to book. The Somali gang-leader has paid with his life, and the others are on the run and likely to be apprehended. A great deal of ammunition and arms have been recovered, including a rocket launcher and AK 47's, as has most of the ivory. Even though this incident took place a long way from our elephants, it is, nevertheless, a terrible tragedy and those countries who still insist on buying ivory, have blood on their hands, as do those so intent on opening up the Ivory Trade again. The worrying thing is that if an incident of this nature can take place within a highly protected National Park, what must be going on elsewhere where there is no protection at all!
Mercifully, it has been a peaceful and trouble free month for our remaining six Nursery babies, Mweiga slotting into her role as the "Queen Bee" like a veteran, ably backed up by Thoma, who seems to have copied some of Mweya's "pushiness". Little Seraa's sunken cheeks have filled out, and are now smoothe and plump, just as they should be.
The first three weeks of January were devoted almost entirely to battling for the life of little Seraa, who succumbed to pneumonia on New Years' Eve and almost died that night. Miraculously, following a veritable battery of antibiotic injections, (bravely endured), she just managed to pull through, but then began throwing epileptic- like fits, which baffled the Vet. However, we recalled that the same had happened to "Eleanor" way back in the fifties,the prognosis being that this was caused by a Calcium deficiency in an elephant coming from a highly mineralised low rainfall area to a place deficient in minerals. We suggested that Seraa be given intravenous calcium, and happily this seems to have done the trick, for no more fits have occurred. Then she developed a kidney disorder, and this time, rather than subjecting her to further injections, we settled for the Septrin boluses administered in the milk, which had cured Mulika's kidney problem. For the next two weeks Seraa had two a day and gradually she healed and her strength returned. Currently, just a swelling in one foot threatens to develop into an abscess, but this, compared to her earlier problems, will be easy to deal with. As has happened in the past, colloidal silver might just do the trick. An encouraging sign is that her trunk has stopped dripping fluid at night, although the Keepers report that it is much colder to the touch than that of the others. She is feeding well and we are hopeful now that little Seraa is over all her problems, and having put up such a spirited struggle for life, will grow up a healthy and happy elephant. Her will to do so is strong, and she is feeding well, and even beginning again to chase the warthogs, which is always a good sign! Meanwhile, during Seraa's tribulations, Nasalot and Mulika were gentle and attentive, paying her special concern. Back at the Nursery, Mweya took charge, rounding up the younger orphans and escorting them happily out into the bush, chasing a few warthogs on the way, and emitting the odd little squeaky trumpet. Solango chose Thoma to be his new friend, whilst Seraa settled for Mweya, Sweet Sally remaining unmoved as long as a Keeper had a finger to proffer for sucking on. The noon mudbath proceeded as usual, and life has gone on uninterrupted ever since. |
