3 June 2024 

World Environment Day 2024 is marked on Wednesday 5 June, under the theme of land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.

Vergelegen Wine Estate, a jewel in South Africa's winemaking crown, is making headlines not only for its outstanding vintages, but also for its remarkable conservation success story.

Eland, bontebok and rare ‘Rau’ quagga youngsters have been born at the estate, which is home to a 1900 hectare private nature reserve with the same conservation status as the Kruger National Park. The reserve, declared in 2019 following a lengthy project to clear 2200 hectares of dense alien vegetation, has created optimal conditions for wildlife to thrive.

Vergelegen welcomed its first eland calf in April this year, after the founding family of three cows and two neutered bulls was joined by a breeding bull. The original group was relocated from Elandsburg, Wellington, to Vergelegen in 2020.

Three ‘Rau’ quagga newborns comprise a mare born in December 2022, a stallion in October 2023, and a second mare in November 2023. The original group of seven quagga – one stallion, five mares, and a foal – arrived at Vergelegen in May 2022.

The bontebok herd originally numbered 13 animals, which were relocated to the estate from the Helderberg Nature Reserve in 2008. The latest count, undertaken in April this year, revealed their numbers had expanded to over 90 antelope.

Wildebeest and hartebeest

Vergelegen recently introduced black wildebeest and red hartebeest to the reserve in April this year. The frisky new arrivals comprise 12 black wildebeest – two males and ten females – from the Elandsberg Nature Reserve in Hermon, near Wellington. They were accompanied by a family group of six red hartebeest (one male and five females), also from Hermon.

“The wildebeest have adapted well to their new environment,” says Vergelegen environmental project manager Eben Olderwagen. “They are still a little wild compared to the quagga and eland, but have become tamer since their arrival.”

Scientific research

The wildebeest and hartebeest have been acquired for wildlife diversity and breeding, while scientific studies of the bontebok, eland and quagga also contribute to scientific research.

• Dr Anja Wasilewski of Marburg University in Germany studied bontebok social bonds, relationships, scent communication and use of space, which led to a greater understanding of their complex social systems.
• The eland form part of The Gantouw Project, a veld management and ecological research project undertaken by the Cape Town Environmental Education Trust. Gantouw Project Manager Petro Botha is also studying these animals for her
• Quagga are a zebra sub-species that was hunted to extinction about 150 years ago. The ‘Rau’ quagga at Vergelegen form part of an ambitious project by a group of dedicated conservationists, who are selectively breeding from a founder population of southern Plains Zebras to retrieve the genes responsible for the animals’ characteristic hide pattern. They describe their breeding animals as ‘Rau’ quagga, in memory of Reinhold Rau, who founded the project.

The Verglegen wildlife enjoy natural grazing in the reserve. Vegetation includes grass, renosterbos, and Boland granite fynbos, with plentiful water from the Langkloof Dam.

The estate is also a long-serving participant in the Cape Leopard Trust project. Sightings of five different Cape leopard, caracal and honey badgers have been recorded on in-field cameras. The estate is also home to numerous small mammals such as duiker, grysbok and grey rhebok.

Vergelegen visitors can experience the reserve and learn about its environmental initiatives on guided tours in a game drive vehicle. The tour is weather permitting, departing from the wine tasting centre at 10.00. Duration approximately 1.5 hours, R500 per person, maximum nine people. Contact 021 847 2122 or mail  winetasting@vergelegen.co.za