He’s bold, dynamic, gregarious, and downright handsome! "Mabhu" is the lone adult male of the herd and doesn’t mind at all. He has lots of character and doesn’t do anything halfway. Even when he’s just shaking off some dust, he puts his whole effort into it. With just one snap of his head, he commands attention. Mabhu was named for a respected game warden in Swaziland whose name means "he who walks in hostile places."

One would expect such a gigantic animal to have a ground-shaking trumpet, but Mabhu’s is the softest and highest-pitched in the herd and often tapers off with a wheeze. He is the father of Khosi, Punga, Kami, and Gadze, as well as three other calves that are due in 2010. Though extremely powerful, Mabhu is also a very gentle father. He is so good with the babies: one day an infant Kami attempted to nurse from him and he froze, with ears flared, waiting for mother Moya to come to his rescue!

Umngani, whose name means “friend” in Siswati, is the proud mother of Khosi, born September 11, 2006, and Ingadze, born March 13, 2009. Being a mom is a full time job for her, and you will often see her with more than just her two calves. She is sweet natured and seems to love her training sessions, often roaring at the keepers when they are finished. This is why she is referred to as a diva.

In addition to vocalizing her displeasures, she is also one of our most photogenic females and seems to pose for pictures. Umngani is easy to identify: she has the longest tusks in the herd, and her ears are often flared out as if she is listening. As beautiful as she is, though, she is also one of the messiest elephants in the herd. You can tell which keepers have been working with her: they will frequently be spackled with wet mud from her drippy trunk!

Lungile ("good natured one") certainly lives up to her African name. She has a sweet disposition and feels very comfortable around people she knows. Lungile is very smart and aware of her surroundings. Due to her trust in her keepers, she learns quickly and is willing to try new things. She is usually the first to notice when keepers sneak out treats, and the other elephants watch her to see if she finds anything good. The keepers will frequently spoil her with extra treats to make up for her least-dominant status within the herd. Possibly as a result of this status, she enjoys spending time with the calves and is a very good auntie. You will often see her in the yard surrounded by babies!

Nicknamed Ndlula, this elephant is very sweet toward her keepers and will often approach them and solicit a rubdown. She likes to swim and take mud baths to cool down. Ndlula became the first mom of the herd when she gave birth to Vus’musi on February 23, 2004. After finally weaning him at five years of age, she is now expecting her second calf in 2010. She still has a very close relationship with Musi, though you will sometimes see her disciplining him. This is part of the natural maturing process for young bulls and helps them eventually break the tight bonds with their mothers so they can move on to father calves of their own.

You can identify Ndlula, whose name means “taller than trees,” by her crooked right tusk that curves behind her trunk. Though you might expect this to be a hindrance to her, she actually finds it a very convenient way to carry around a flake of hay!

As the first baby born to this herd, this is one special guy! His name means “to build a family,” a name that is often given to a family’s firstborn child in Swaziland. His keepers call him the Momma’s Boy because even at his age, Musi doesn’t like to be far from Ndlula for too long and will call to her if he becomes separated. Ndlula also allowed him to nurse much longer than the average calf, only recently weaning him! He is growing so fast that at five years old he is the same size that several of the adult females were when they arrived at the Wild Animal Park at age 14! Musi is going to be one big bull. Thank goodness he is so sweet!

As the first calf born into the herd, he was spoiled not only by his elephant family, but also by his keepers. He came to look to them for attention and comfort, even running grumbling to the fence where the keepers were when disciplined by his Auntie Umngani. This happened because, like many older brothers, Musi was picking on little sister Khosi and needed to be put in his place! He is also incredibly smart and knows more behaviors than most of the other elephants in the herd.

This adorable little female is the first offspring of her father, Mabu, and her mother, Umngani. Her name is short for a name that means "heart of a queen" in SiSwati. Keepers say she is a big eater, just like her mother! Khosi's personality is very relaxed, and she likes to watch over all of her younger siblings. This maternal behavior is especially strong with new brother Ingadze. When the new baby was first introduced to the rest of the herd, Khosi walked on the opposite side of the baby as Umngani as if to protect him, and you can still see her following him around the yard and calling him back if he wanders too far.

Impunga is a very rambunctious young male born on March 11, 2007, to first-time mom Litsemba and adult male Mabhu. Within days of his birth, little Punga was acclimated with the rest of the herd. He trained Semba well, screaming loudly if she moved while he was nursing. As he grew, his playful nature emerged. He loves to wrestle with his siblings and often will be the one who instigates playtime. He seems to enjoy hanging out with Musi the most, and you will often see them pushing each other around the yard. Since he was very small, he has competed with Khosi, and they frequently match up to compare strength. You will often see Punga throwing rocks into the air or taking a swim in the pool.

“Kami” is the daughter of Moya and Mabhu. The keepers refer to her as the little gymnast. Kami is a great swimmer, good at balancing on logs or rocks, and has lots of energy. Being a junior acrobat isn’t the only thing she is known for: she is also the “class clown,” often swinging her trunk around like a helicopter. Her funny little trumpet is so distinct that keepers can tell her vocalizations apart from all of the other calves. Her antics are a constant source of entertainment for the keepers and guests at the Wild Animal Park. When she is not goofing off, she is playing the role of big sister to our newest addition, Ingadze. Kami really enjoys the new calf and is a wonderful big sister. She’s even trying to teach him some of her balancing acts!

Born March 13, 2009, to Umngani and Mabhu, “Gadze” is the newest member of our herd. He is the first calf to be born to a second-time mom, and big sister Khosi took to him immediately. You will often see him playing with her or half-sister Kami in the yards, although as he’s grown he has taken more interest in hanging out with the older boys, Musi and Punga. He is a very rowdy youngster and very smart as well. He has always been very advanced and accomplished many “firsts” at a younger age than any of the others. In fact, he already knows how to swim and can be seen splashing around in the pool with his big siblings, often climbing all over them!

It is difficult to state a set weight for Gadze, as he is growing every day. As of July 1, 2009, he weighed in at a whopping 422 pounds, already more than twice his birth weight!