CONSERVATION
In proud partnership with Cape Nature, De Wijnlanden has committed to do what it can to return the area – some of the last Renosterveld in the greater City of Cape Town – to its original state. The low-density development of the Estate means lots of open space. As far as possible only indigenous plants, birds, animals and fish are considered for these open areas and in exchange Cape Nature provides valuable advice and plants or animals (often for rehabilitation). We have 6 dams and a host of permanent and regular non-human residents about our Estate.
WILDLIFE
In May 2014 four Springbok were introduced on to the estate. One male, 2 females and a juvenile. The herd grows on a yearly basis and have grown to 16 in the past few years. We swap out rams on a yearly basis and the herd is very carefully managed. You can see them roaming around the estate on a daily basis and form part of the tranquil atmosphere in the estate.
TORTOISES
De Wijnlanden is in proud partnership with SPCA Wildlife division, providing refuge and rescue to mostly leopard and angulate tortoises. The tortoises that arrive here had been confiscated for various reasons and cannot not be returned to the wild because they contract diseases in captivity which are dangerous to wild tortoise populations. Over 100 tortoises have been released here, the last 10 being very large leopard tortoises that came to De Wijnlanden from a deceased estate
Birdwatching
We also have an extensive birdlife, with over 120 different types of birds being spotted in our estate. The maturing dams have attracted different water birds, to make their homes here, a pair of Yellowbilled ducks and another pair of moorhens raise a brood each year. When they are born it can be a real talking point in the neighbourhood.
BIRDLIFE
A Southern Boubou appeared recently for the first time, this bird normally lives in riverine areas and likes a lot of shrubbery. There’s also a pair of Jackal Buzzards that breed in a large pine tree and have successfully raised a chick each year for nearly 10 years, they teach it to hunt around Darters dam when it fledges.
