Strulch Blog

Meru is among Kenya's best-kept secrets. Widely regarded as one of Kenya’s last remaining true wildernesses, this jewel of a national park sits in the very heart of the country. Rugged and remote, Meru is a staggeringly diverse ecosystem, home to a mosaic of distinct habitats. The rolling Nyambene Mountains, with their fern-filled peaks, tumble into semi-arid desert bush and grasslands....

One year ago, a little sprite landed in our midst. Korbessa was just a few days old when she was rescued from a well on the border of Meru National Park. Even before she arrived at our Kaluku Neonate Nursery, we knew that we had a formidable character on our hands: Korbessa spent her rescue flight wedged between her new Keeper’s legs, calmly staring out the plane window at the landscape below....

Alan Titchmarsh recently shared his thoughts on various gardening practices, including the rather contentious topic of slugs! In his latest article, "Slugs are my friends? Don’t be ridiculous!" He highlights his pragmatic approach to organic gardening and how he achieves a balanced, nature-friendly garden. The Slug Debate: Friend or Foe? Alan takes a candid stance on slugs and despite his...

“Just like a human child, a baby elephant captures your heart entirely — so utterly dependent and incredibly intelligent. Although a baby elephant duplicates humans in terms of age, they are certainly much more advanced than the human equivalent in early infancy and much more responsible and wiser in childhood and adolescence.” – Daphne Sheldrick   Daphne and Aisha, one of the first infant...

Following a service of remembrance, the Queen visited the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust near Nairobi National Park to witness orphaned elephants rescued from the wild. Observing their playful antics during feeding time, she humorously referred to a corner as the "naughty corner" for the more restless ones. The Queen fed a one-year-old calf named Mzinga with a fortified version of human milk formula,...

Very often, our work focuses on the vulnerability of elephants. We are the first responders to tiny orphans found on the brink of death, enormous bulls who have been harmed by the human hand, or entire herds marooned on community land. All these incidents remind us that, despite being the largest creatures to walk planet earth, elephants are still remarkably fragile. A single bullet or a snare...

Days before Christmas, Humpty splashed into our world. Instead of arriving in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, she was heralded in by a bed of flapping fish, then ferried beneath a helicopter. We weren’t prepared to have a little hippo in our midst, nor could we have expected the extent to which she would capture all our hearts.     On 22nd December 2016, I received a call about a tiny...

It was where Sidai led her little family on the long, drought-stricken trek ‘home,’ knowing she needed urgent treatment for an arrow wound. In fact, many elephants — ex-orphans and wild elephants alike — have come to Ithumba seeking help. This week’s incident is but the latest in a long line of remarkable stories.   The wild bull appeared at the stockades — then, incredibly, showed himself...

Hi Jackie, We're always told to reuse before recycle so I thought I'd let you know how we re-use the Strulch bags. They make strong sacks to transport all my excess garden waste to the local household recycle centre. So far we've used the same bags multiple times and they are holding up well. Here is a photo of all our clippings from the hedge. Brian & Sam

Giraffes are indeed the rare, long-stemmed flowers of Africa. Few sights make me singularly feel so at home, so immersed in the heart of Kenya, than these other-worldly creatures. But their ethereal form belies a charming eccentricity. Anyone who has ever known a giraffe will agree: They are quirky beyond measure. Just like each giraffe has a unique spot pattern that is entirely their own, they...