Vergelegen wildlife Eland youngster in the game reserve. PICTURE: Eben Olderwagen
Image: Staff reporter
Vergelegen wildlife Male and female quagga born at Vergelegen.
Image: Staff reporter
Vergelegen wildlife Bontebok near the Vergelegen arboretum.
Image: Staff reporter
This World Wildlife Day took place earlier this month, and Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West celebrated the arrival of many new additions to its thriving wildlife family.
Rare Rau quagga, eland and black wildebeest are breeding in the wine estate’s 1 900-hectare private nature reserve, which has the same conservation status as the Kruger National Park.
The fenced game camp within the reserve was recently expanded from 160 to 400 hectares to ensure plentiful grazing and water.
The estate is also home to Cape leopards, caracals, Cape foxes, spotted genets, baboons, honey badgers, small antelope, and other mammals.
“Wildlife has thrived at the estate since the culmination of an ambitious alien vegetation clearing project undertaken from 2004 to 2018,” says Vergelegen environmental manager, Eben Olderwagen.
“A total of 2240-hectares were cleared, making this the largest privately funded alien vegetation clearing project in South Africa. As alien vegetation uses up to 60% more water than fynbos, the project unlocked water resources, allowing natural vegetation to return and animals to thrive.”
The estate launched guided environmental tours two years ago, for visitors to find out more about the clearing project, and to view the wildlife. These have proved so popular that the estate recently invested in a second game drive vehicle.
The guided environmental tours are weather permitting, departing from the wine tasting centre at 10am, lasting two hours. Contact 021 847 2111 or mail winetasting@vergelegen.co.za