Camp Jabulani’s herd has matured over time to become a very close knit family group. They each have their own character, and just like a human family, they also share unique bonds with one another. Towards the end of last year Joe decided to join the wild herd on the reserve, although he still returns to visit from time to time.

We currently have a whole nursery of calves in the herd.

Tokwe has two babies. Limpopo was born on the 19th of August 2006, and moved into her own stable when Pisa, her little sister, arrived on the 13th of November 2009.

Setombe is mother to Klaserie (female) who arrived on the 23rd of February 2007.

Bubi is mother to Zindoga (male) who arrived on the 25th of September 2007, providing Klaserie with the perfect playmate. Zindoga is an endless source of entertainment for us. He has a tendency to come up to Iain while he’s giving his talk, shake his head, and then put up his trunk for his reward. Should he not get the treat he’s so convinced he deserves, he’ll turn around and try to kick the offending party. Elephants can only have one foot off the ground at a time, so it’s hilarious to watch him attempt this.

Zindoga recently moved into his own bedroom after indicating to us (by skipping out on the safari walk one afternoon) that he was all grown up and no longer needed to be tied to Mom’s apron strings. He was momentarily upset on the first night when the lights went out and he found himself all along in the dark, but Bubi stuck a reassuring trunk through the bars and the little guy quickly settled down again. Since then he’s been absolutely fine about going into his own stall at the end of the day.

Lundi had Mambo (male) on the 25th of  June 2009.

The babies have certainly added an element of playfulness to the herd with their delightful antics and inquisitive nature. Recently the Camp Jabulani herd welcomed yet another new member to its fold. Only this time it wasn’t the birth of baby, but rather the adoption of a vulnerable and traumatised young elephant from a farm in Zimbabwe. We’ve named her Kumbura, which means ‘Remembrance’.

Kumbura is really shy and not that quick to trust, but when you take into account her tragic background this is hardly surprising. That said, her personality is definitely starting to show itself. Sebakwe is her role model, and she is the one you’re most likely to find Kumbura with.

The arrival of these new additions changed the intra-herd dynamics significantly. In the wild elephants group themselves in matriarchal herds. The bull elephants only join them periodically, and therefore have very little to do with the younger members. With the Camp Jabulani herd all the elephants are involved, and as a result the males have become as attached to the babies as the females have.

The art of motherhood is something that is usually passed on from generation to generation, but without any role models of their own, Camp Jabulani’s elephants haven’t had any experience with childbirth or childrearing. It therefore came as a huge shock to them when they were first confronted with this huge challenge. But Tokwe – the first to fall pregnant – took to the job admirably, and through the experience the herd has learned to become a more relaxed and stable one. Click here to learn more about each herd member individually.