For several years, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and more recently the Waterberg Wild Dog Initiative (WWDI) have run an ecotourism project in the Waterberg. The idea was hatched to appease landowners who are hostile to the presence of African wild dogs, especially during the annual denning season, when the entire pack stays around the den to look after the Alpha female and her pups. The denning season lasts for around 3 months and can impact prey numbers within proximity of the den. The ecotourism project was initiated to try and reduce human/wildlife conflict by regularly feeding the denning dogs, restricting their need to hunt and offering paying visitors an opportunity to view the dogs. Funds raised are paid to landowners to compensate for stock losses.
Our annual wines and wild dogs event hosted at Lindani, a beautiful 3000 ha property in the heart of the Waterberg mountains, has become an established fixture on the Painted Wolf calendar. A family business, Lindani is committed to conservation, making them the perfect partner to host this event.
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This year, the event ran from 4 to 7 July. Selecting a date is always a nail-biting decision, as it is based on past breeding information, with our expectation the dogs will comply and den at that time and in a location where we can enjoy an excursion to visit them!
And once again, the dogs of the Toog pack didn’t disappoint, despite concerns that they are currently very nervous of humans, due to several losses of pack members during the last year. At the end of 2023, 6 sub-adults died in a deliberate poisoning incident and more recently, one of the pack members was hit by a car and another tragically died on a fence line. So, we were incredibly fortunate to some precious time with the pack (not the pups though, we keep well away from the den and the Alpha female to prevent any disturbance). The WWDI team used the opportunity to dart a dog from the pack, as she needed her radio collar to be adjusted, so our guests had a rare opportunity of a very close-up viewing of a sedated African wild dog.
Winemaker Jeremy Borg was in attendance over the weekend, along with staff from the EWT and the Waterberg Wild Dog Initiative. Jeremy hosted a semi-formal wine tasting under the stars, which was a perfect setting to enjoy an impressive line-up of our wines, including a couple of rare, older vintages
Accommodation at Lindani is cozy and comfortable and delicious portions of generous home-style cooking completes their warm hospitality. Apart from the “main attractions” of visiting the dogs and enjoying copious quantities of Painted Wolf, there is birdwatching, walking and mountain bike trails to be enjoyed throughout the weekend. And of course, just relaxing around the lodge, with prolific birdlife and ever-present warthog and antelope foraging nearby, is food for the soul.
If you would like to be informed about the 2025 event, please send an email to amanda@paintedwolfwines.com to ensure you are kept informed. Spaces are very limited for this unique event.
