Rare dwarf Nguni calf born at Vergelegen wine estate

A rare dwarf Nguni calf has been born at the Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West, adding to a growing list of wildlife births recorded at the property over the past few months.

The male calf was born December 26 and is believed to be an uncommon example of a dwarf Nguni, a genetic variation that results in a much smaller, stockier animal. He has short legs and a brown-and-white spotted hide, and is expected to grow no taller than between knee and waist height.

According to Vergelegen’s environmental manager, Eben Olderwagen, dwarf Nguni cattle have a significantly shorter lifespan than standard Nguni cattle.

“Dwarf Nguni cattle usually live for about four years, compared to up to 20 years for a normal Nguni,” he said, adding that the calf’s mother has been highly protective since the birth.

The calf, who has not yet been named, joins another young Nguni, Henry, who has become a familiar sight on the estate. Henry, who is mostly white, was bottle-fed and has become tame, often seen around staff areas.

The two calves were born later than most of the estate’s Nguni herd. Between July and September last year, 133 Nguni calves were born at the estate, bringing the total herd to about 450 animals.

Wildlife births have also been recorded across the broader game camp and nature reserve at Vergelegen Wine Estate, which spans thousands of hectares.

Two eland calves were born in mid-December 2025, increasing the eland population to 11. The original five eland were introduced to the estate in July 2020 from Elandsberg near Wellington as part of a long-term study on their grazing impact on fynbos and grass species.

Seven bontebok lambs were born in October 2025, bringing the estate’s bontebok population to about 90. While this is fewer than the usual 12 to 15 lambs born each year, Olderwagen said the lower number is linked to young animals reaching breeding age and the formation of new breeding groups.

Bontebok were first introduced to the estate in 2008, when 13 animals were relocated from the nearby Helderberg Nature Reserve.

Birdlife has also drawn attention. A pair of spotted eagle owls that nest annually in oak trees near the estate’s management offices successfully raised two owlets late last year. The young birds were found on the ground below their nest in November and continued to be fed by their parents until they were able to fly.

Further additions are expected in the coming weeks, with two Rau quagga mares currently heavily pregnant. Vergelegen is home to 10 Rau quagga, which form part of a long-running conservation project aimed at breeding plains zebra that resemble the extinct quagga, which was hunted to extinction in the late 1800s.

The project, launched in 1987, focuses on selectively breeding animals with reduced striping, particularly on the rear of the body, to mirror historical descriptions of the quagga once found across South Africa.

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