Every day, while Phabeni has been in quarantine, Jabulani has come down to the bottom of the orphanage garden, to feed at the fence for a while. Phabeni has sensed this and puts his trunk out in the air, picking up the scent of Jabulani. Adine has brought fresh dung from Jabulani to Phabeni to smell and eat, to get the calf familiar to the elephants around him.
Old hay (known as teff) from Phabeni’s nursery has also been put into the homestead in each section for the elephants to smell and get used to the new calf’s scent too. The herd know that a baby is close by and have been smelling Phabeni from the homestead but this teff helps provide a stronger scent and ease those curious trunks next door.
This is a great small step in Phabeni’s development and gradual journey toward integrating into a new herd. It is wonderful to see that Jabulani is still the curious big brother bull we know him to be, and we can’t wait to watch him greet Phabeni closer up soon! Jabulani was also the first elephant in the herd to visit Khanyisa when she was new to the orphanage.
Phabeni has slowly been getting used to life outside his quarantine area and exploring the greater grounds of the orphanage. We are so proud of him as he continues to adapt to this big change in his life, and we are here for him every step of the way.