Spring and summer have brought an unmistakable sense of renewal to Vergelegen, where new life is quietly reshaping the landscapes of the historic Somerset West estate.
Spread across 3,000 hectares, including a 400-hectare game camp within a protected nature reserve, the estate has welcomed a remarkable range of wildlife births in recent months. Among them is a rare arrival that has already captured attention: a dwarf Nguni calf, born on 26 December.
With short, stocky legs and a striking brown-and-white spotted hide, the calf stands out even among Vergelegen’s sizeable Nguni herd. He is expected to grow no taller than knee to waist height, a trait typical of the dwarf Nguni lineage.
‘Dwarf Nguni cattle have a much shorter lifespan than standard Nguni, usually around four years, compared to up to 20 years for a normal Nguni,’ said Vergelegen environmental manager Eben Olderwagen.
He added that the young calf’s mother remains ‘very protective and closely monitors anyone who approaches.’
The calf, who has yet to be named, joins another young Nguni already well known on the estate. Henry, a mostly white calf, has become something of a local favourite.
Bottle-fed and tame, he has formed a close bond with Vergelegen’s hospitality and events manager, Sue Steenkamp, and is often found roaming her garden.
Both calves arrived later than most of the season’s births. Between July and September last year, Vergelegen recorded the arrival of 133 Nguni calves, bringing the herd to roughly 450 animals, a figure that reflects the success of the estate’s long-term land and livestock management.
Wildlife baby boom at Vergelegen estate
The surge in new life hasn’t been limited to cattle. In mid-December 2025, two eland calves were born, increasing the estate’s eland population to 11.
The original group of eland was introduced in July 2020 from Elandsberg near Wellington, forming part of an ongoing project to better understand how large herbivores interact with fynbos species and grasses.
Bontebok numbers have also grown. Seven lambs were born in October 2025, taking the total population to about 90.
While the number is slightly lower than the usual annual average, Olderwagen explained the shift as part of a natural cycle.
‘Young females are reaching breeding age, and new breeding groups are forming as young males establish their territories,’ he said.
Bontebok were first introduced to Vergelegen in 2008, when 13 animals were relocated from the nearby Helderberg Nature Reserve. Since then, the species has steadily established itself across the estate.
Birdlife has followed a similar rhythm, as several spotted eagle owls call Vergelegen home, with one pair nesting each year in oak trees near the management offices.
In November last year, two owlets were found on the ground beneath their nest, where their parents continued to feed them until they were strong enough to fly.
Further additions are expected soon. Two Rau quagga mares are heavily pregnant, adding anticipation to an already active season.
Vergelegen is currently home to 10 Rau quagga, part of a conservation programme launched in 1987 to selectively breed plains zebra that resemble the extinct quagga.
Unlike modern zebra, quagga were characterised by stripes limited to the head, neck and front of the body, with unstriped legs and paler undersides.
Picture: Supplied
The breeding initiative aims to reintroduce animals that visually and genetically reflect those once seen across South Africa before the species was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century.
For visitors keen to explore these conservation efforts firsthand, Vergelegen offers guided environmental tours in open-top game drive vehicles.
Weather permitting, the tours depart daily from the wine tasting centre at 10am and last approximately two hours. Each experience is limited to a maximum of nine guests and includes a wine tasting, a branded cap and a reusable water bottle.
The cost is R950 per person, and bookings can be made by calling 021 847 2111 or emailing [email protected].
Vergelegen is open to the public daily from 8:30am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm. General admission is R30 per person, or R10 for pensioners and scholars, with pensioners enjoying free entry on Mondays.
More information is available at www.vergelegen.co.za, via the estate’s social media platforms, or by contacting [email protected].
As summer settles over the Helderberg, Vergelegen’s growing collection of calves, lambs and chicks offers a quiet reminder of what sustained conservation can achieve, not through spectacle, but through patience, careful management and long-term commitment to biodiversity.
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Picture: Supplied
