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DIARIES : |
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Monthly Diary Reports
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The first day of December 2004 was
dominated by frequent showers, so the orphans had a joyous time sliding
on mud walls. Morani, Solango, Mweya, Thoma,
Seraa, Mpala and Irima had a fantastic game of running in the
puddles, splashing up the rainwater, and charging the spray, trumpeting
with happiness because of the rain and green pasture. The orphans
enjoyed a mudbath on the 05.12.2004 made by the wild elephants today. At
3.15 3 zebras ran past Natumi’g group, scaring them. Mweya led Solango,
Morani, Seraa, Irima and Thoma
running to the Keepers with outspread ears, but they later returned to
Emily, who was unpeturbed. There was confusion in the morning on the 07.11.2004 when Mweya, Thoma, Morani, Seraa and Mpala tried to chase off two bushbucks, and the bushbucks simply ran amongst the orphans! Chaos reigned until Mweya collided head on with Seraa and both fell down. By the time they got up the bushbucks had disappeared into a nearby bush. At the noon milk feed Solango tried to block Morani from getting his bottle, which made Morani yell. The Keepers came and reprimanded Solango. (27.11.2004) Mweya chased off a lesser kudu this morning, but upon noticing that none of the others had given her any backing, she returned in a rush, and took it out on Seraa, whom she pushed down. It was a wonderful noon mudbath on the 02.10.2004, with Morani and Mpala rolling onto each other trumpeting with joy. This attracted Mweiga, who joined them, but when she lay on Morani with all her weight, he bellowed loudly, bringing the Keepers to the rescue. Mweiga rose immediately, touching Morani’s mouth with her trunk as if to say “sorry baby, I didn’t mean to hurt you!” They both then returned to the mudbath and continued to enjoy it together. At 4 p.m. the orphans joined Naomi’s wild group, where Emily stood with her head touching that of Naomi, their trunks hanging loosely together, as if discussing their charges in the midst of another very dry season. Meanwhile Seraa, Laikipia, Mweya and Salama played with wild age-mates. The orphans remained with the wild group until it was time to return to the Night Stockades. (07.10.2004) Morani found himself left behind whilst trying to extract roots from an Acacia tree. On noticing that he was alone, he screamed loudly, which brought Mweiga, Burra and Seraa back to collect him. They all rejoined the group swinging their heads and tossing their little trunks sideways in celebration.
Thoma was better today. At 11.22 a.m. on 09.09.2004 Morani was playing in mud whilst Thoma, Solango and Seraa stood by, admiring his antics. After the mudbath, Burra and Solango lifted up their trunks to smell an approaching buffalo. The buffalo was well behaved and waited until the orphans had left before approaching. Nyiro and Mukwaju engaged in a shoving game, but stopped when Mvita wanted to join in. Thoma was looking dull and unhappy this morning, and the Keepers noticed that she had worms. We gave her colloidal silver and later, de-wormed all the elephants still on milk – namely Morani, Seraa, Mpala, Mweiga, Solango and Irima. The orphans day began with drama when Morani and Seraa chased two dikdiks. Their joyful trumpeting attracted Thoma and Solango, who joined in the chase which lasted some 20 minutes. Morani, Thoma, Mpala and Seraa enjoyed a game of mounting onto each other at 3 p.m. on 03.09.2004. The game ended when Seraa fell down, and bellowed, bringing the Keepers to her aid. The orphans joined a group of 9 wild elephants who had a very tiny baby. Lolokwe, Seraa and Morani lined up and watched the tiny baby suckling its mother, tossing their trunks forward to try and attract the baby’s attention, without success. Emily played a pushing game with a young bull slightly older than herself, whilst all the others kept following the small baby. Laikipia became very bold, and unsuccessfully used both his small tusks and trunk to try and pull back the wild calf who wanted to follow its mother when she decided to leave. Seraa watched Emily closely as she dug up roots using her tusks and a foreleg, after which Seraa knelt, and using her tiny tusks and a foreleg, tried to do the same. In the evening Lissa and her family returned to the Stockade for water, after which she remained until midnight, busy de-barking Grewia branches.
Loisaba gently dislodged Seraa who was scratching her hind leg on a tree trunk. Loisaba then enjoyed doing the same. At 6.30 a.m. on 11.07.2004 Nyiro and Tsavo enjoyed a pushing game, Tsavo lying down to take on Nyiro. Further on Mpala, Seraa, Solango and Mweya chased off 2 dikdiks, and the chase turned into a joint game, with all the orphans trumpeting and rushing hither and thither. Whilst returning to the Stockades in the evening, Seraa led the small group, all the others in single-file behind her. Solango, Thoma, Seraa and Mpala played together for most of the day. The orphans joined a wild herd of l0, amongst whom was a wild bull of Aitong’s age, who engaged her in a tough tussle. Mweya screamed and ran to the Keepers, which broke up the tussle, after which the two groups browsed peacefully together. Aside from the discussions about The Big Move, there has been quite a lot of interaction with wild herds this month, on the 8th, l0th, 18th, 20th, 21st, and 31st, with wild herds accompanying Lissa and her family. Interaction with other species have included Aitong and Sosian chasing off two dikdiks, Mpala, Seraa and Irima ganging up to chase off 2 waterbucks and Natumi, Ilingwezi and Sally doing the same to some baboons. As usual, the young bulls have enjoyed tussling and trunk wrestling with each other, enjoying chasing games with each other and the young cows of their age set and, of course, wonderful noon mudbaths in the large rain-filled pools where the elephants can actually submerge themselves. Mpala, Thoma, Seraa and Irima chased off 2 waterbucks who came to drink water at the noon mudbath. Very heavy rain has continued to fall in other areas of the Park, and particularly in the North, so once again, interaction with wild herds has been limited, occurring only at the beginning of the month when the orphans were joined by a herd of 5 wild elephants and when a wild bull chased off the Keepers at the mudbath. A wild group of 7 joined the orphans on the 2nd and on this occasion it was Mpala, Nasalot and Seraa who ran forward to greet them whilst Laikipia locked trunks in greeting with what was obviously a wild friend, and Ilingwezi held onto a wild baby’s back leg, not wanting it to leave with its herd! Amongst the bulls, there has been the usual competitions for dominance, i.e. trying to mount on one another, which sometimes degenerates into a fight. Very unpopular is snatching a tasting morsel from one another, which inevitably brings retribution from the wounded party. Interestingly, when Seraa tried to jump on Solango, he punished her by ostracising her rather than fighting her, but these two elephants have always been very close, both originating from the same rock well in Shaba National Reserve. Seraa tried to mount onto Solango’s back, but they both fell over. Solango did not take revenge against Seraa when they rose again, instead choosing to ostracise her for the rest of the day. At 12.07 p.m. Dika again tried to mount Emily. Later a herd of impalas intermingled close to the orphans, but the elephants did not disturb them. At 9.30 a.m. a wild group of 7 elephants joined the orphans. Mpala, Nasalot and Seraa ran forward to welcome the wild herd, whose Matriarch stretched out her trunk to touch the approaching orphans lovingly. Laikipia locked trunks with a wild calf of his size, as if to say “jambo”. Ilingwezi captured a wild baby’s hind leg with her trunk, wanting it to remain behind, as the wild group wandered off. The orphans enjoy testing their strength with each other. Seraa took on Thoma and Tsavo took on Nyiro. Emily left the mudbath ahead of the others and went to strip bark from a nearby tree, sharing the strips with Seraa, who took them from her mouth. There is always competition within the younger set about who should lead the group out into the bush each morning. Today Mweya, Solango and Seraa were competing, and accidentally pushed Mweiga, making her fall down. Immediately both Aitong and Emily rushed to Mweiga’s rescue and helped her to her feet. Encounters with other species have involved Emily chasing off an old buffalo, backed up by Aitong, Yatta, Mulika, Mvita, and Seraa, Mpala and Morani also joining the chase, confident of victory. However, a tiny mongoose unravelled Irima when it ran between his legs, leaving him trembling with fright, and prompting him to remain close to the Keepers for the rest of the day! At the noon mudbath, Laikipia, Edie, Kinna, Sally and Seraa ganged up on Sosian, holding him under water. The Keepers had to plunge into the muddy water to rescue him. Edo came to the Stockade at 7.20 a.m. and left at l0 a.m.on 25.02.2004 without meeting the orphans. Aitong left the orphans to head for the mudbath ahead of time. Mpala and Seraa, who were leading the others, retreated when they saw her there, obviously not recognising her. The Keepers led them to join Aitong. The orphans played a strength testing game out in the bush. Mulika challenged Nyiro, Thoma took on Seraa and Tsavo, Salama. The group was scared by descending vultures so the Keepers went to investigate and found the carcase of a zebra, which had probably been killed by lions. The orphans were uncomfortable, and decided to head in the opposite direction. Laikipia, Ilingwezi, Seraa, Irima, Nyiro and Lolokwe teamed up for a wonderful dusbath, mounting each other and throwing soil over their bodies, whilst Emily watched closely. Thoma and Seraa found themselves left behind today, so Icholta and Kinna went back to escort them as they raced to catch up. At the noon mudbath, Emily lay down in the mud and allowed Seraa, Solango, Mpala and Sosian to climb over her. The four babies touched Emily gently with their trunks whilst trumpeting with happiness. Meanwhile Mweya, Thoma, Nasalot and Icholta managed to corner a baby warthog, which brought the mother warthog to the rescue. Emily intervened to chase the warthog mother off, but not before she had managed to rescue her baby. |
Dec2004.jpg)
Emily saw the zebras off. (22.12.2004)
Edo was again at the Stockade with Emily, Aitong and Sweet Sally, to
accompany the other orphans into the bush, this side leading them to the
Eastern side of the hill. They had a wonderful wallow together when
Seraa, Burra, Irima and Mweya enjoyed rushing through the
shallows, “exchanging pleasantries”. They all spent the day
together, Edo returning with them to the Stockade in the evening. Edo
and Emily’s group did not appear today the 23.12.2004, Natumi’s
group had a wonderful wallow when Salama and Laikipia enjoyed a pushing
game. During the milk feed Irima pushed down Mpala in a struggle for the
bottle, and after, Burra and Seraa
enjoyed chasing a dikdik who was hiding in the bush upon which they were
feeding. Emily’s group, plus Edo, met up with the other orphans on
their way back to the Stockade in the evening.
On 09.10.2004, At 7 a.m. Morani and
Seraa screamed their disappointment when a dikdik they were
chasing went under the wire of the electric fence. After a wonderful
mudbath on a hot and sultry day, Aitong took Sweet Sally to join her in
a dust bath on an anthill. Sally wanted Aitong all to herself, pushing
anyone who came to join them away. (17.10.2004) Mweiga lay down in the
mudbath and allowed Seraa, Morani
and Burra to climb on her. The three smaller orphans enjoyed this
greatly, running in and out of the water to climb over
her. (20.10.2004) Mweiga, Seraa,
Morani and Burra were very happy when they managed to chase off two
Lesser Kudus who came to drink at their waterhole at 11 a.m. The Kudus
returned later to drink. Emily again pushed down the post supporting the
shelter in the Stockade, this time tearing off the iron sheets. The
Keepers kept vigil outside the Stockade to prevent further damage.
Seraa watched Emily closely as she dug up roots using her tusks and a
foreleg, after which Seraa knelt,
and using her tiny tusks and a foreleg, tried to do the same. In the
evening Lissa and her family returned to the Stockade for water, after
which she remained until midnight, busy de-barking Grewia branches. This
morning, the 06.08.2004 Lolokwe, Mpala, Seraa
and Solango fed in a straight line like athletes lining up to receive
their Gold Medal, intertwining trunks. Later the orphans joined three
wild cows with a yearling calf. Laikipia went forward immediately to
greet the baby. They intertwined trunks, after which Laikipia escorted
the wild calf to spend some time with the other orphans, wrapping his
trunk around its body. Seraa and
Mweya chased off some waterbucks, and returned in a jovial mood,
swinging their trunks round and round to celebrate victory. 