Since 2022, the first weekend of July has become a permanent fixture on the Painted Wolf calendar. Working with the team at the Waterberg Wild Dog Initiative (WWDI), assisted by colleagues from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), we host a fascinating and fun long weekend of wild dogs and wine tasting.
Our hosts are Alan and Denise van Coller on their magnificent bushveld property in the Waterberg. Lindani Lodges has been in the Van Coller family for many years and is a safe haven for wildlife and in particular, African wild dogs.
This year’s wine and wild dog weekend was amongst the most thrilling to date, with 2 successful excursions to separate wild dog packs.
We accommodate only 12 guests making the weekend exclusive and demand always outstrips supply. This year, the event began on Thursday 2 July. Guests make their own way to Lindani, which is an easy drive from Johannesburg. From around 2pm, they settle into their accommodation in charming cottages at ‘Motseng Village’ – one of the larger lodges at Lindani. Lindani offers magnificent MTB riding, running and walking trails for every fitness level, affording guests opportunities to bird and game view on foot.
At around 5pm, we invited the guests to assemble under a massive, old Acacia tree on the front lawn. Tables were set with snacks, introductions were made, glasses were filled and shortly thereafter the weekend officially kicked off.
There are several things that make this event unique. The most important is the presence of 5 highly regarded conservation professionals, each of whom shares their particular field of expertise with the guests for the entire weekend.
After dinner on Thursday night, we were treated to an in-depth presentation about the wild dogs of the Waterberg, by Mari-Su de Villiers, co-ordinator of WWDI. This talk helps set the tone for the weekend ahead, giving an understanding about the challenges the dogs face in the complex landscape of the area – along with the challenges the WWDI team face trying to keep the dogs alive and out of trouble.
Painted Wolf Wines contributes a generous and eclectic selection of wine with winemaker Jeremy presenting several themed but light-hearted wine tastings over the weekend. This year we were fortunate to have some additional wines from our partner, Jordan Wine Estate in addition to our conservation wines.
After a generous breakfast on Friday morning, guests participated in a visit to the EWT Carnivore Holding Facility which forms a crucial part of the African Wild Dog Range Expansion Project. A few days prior to our arrival, a pack of 14 wild dogs had been moved to the facility where they will be held in temporary captivity, pending their translocation to a large wilderness area in Mozambique. We were hosted by Eugene Greyling who is a Field Officer employed by the EWT – he gave us great insights into the design of the facility and the work he does to ensure the dogs are well cared for during their time there. Guests were fortunate enough to experience feeding time during our visit there.
We returned to Lindani for another wine tasting and a delicious Moroccan-themed supper which was paired with some of our Mediterranean varietal wines. After dinner, we were entertained by Joseph Hlako who does crucial wildlife/human conflict work in the Waterberg. Joseph also oversees the Livestock Guarding Dog programme for the EWT. As usual, Joseph brought great insights into his work, with lots of humour along the way.
The highlight of the weekend is an excursion to observe one of the few free-ranging packs that reside in South Africa. These packs traverse properties owned by many different landowners. Unfortunately, they are not always welcome guests. The project established several years ago by the EWT sought to alleviate pressure on game farmers who can suffer substantial losses in the denning season, by supplementing food for the dogs, which is donated by supporters of the project who want to ensure this important population survives. Supplementary feeding provides an opportunity for the WWDI team to monitor the denning dogs and help ensure their safety. A wonderful spin-off is the visitors who are privileged to accompany the team.
With so much packed in, the weekend flies by and before we know it, we have to leave on Sunday with thrilled guests and new friendships made. Every year we leave reminded of why we do this — and why it matters so much that we keep doing it.
If you love wine and wild dogs, please pop amanda@paintedwolfwines.com a message to ensure you are contacted for the 2027 weekend!
– Jeremy Borg and Amanda Irving
