Ann Van Dyk is the undisputed alpha female at DeWildt and in this matriarchal society that makes her ‘da boss!’ – a position she would most likely occupy even if she wasn’t the owner and founder. A recent newspaper article described her as craggy faced with a gnawed hand from a cheetah bite and having a game leg but dedicated to her cause. While she took exception to the description, she does in fact have wrinkled skin from years in the sun. Her hair is a cap of gray curls and she did lose part of a finger to a cheetah – a story she confided to us during our stay at her Shingwedzi game farm.
Ann is a remarkable woman. She has the same drive and determination as Dianne Fosse and Jane Goodall without Fosse’s ego or Dr. Jane’s charm and notoriety. Ann is gracious, make no mistake, but in a quiet and unassuming way. Like a wary wild dog or a cheetah, Ann takes a lot of time sizing one up before taking you into her select and very privileged pack. Once you have joined the inner circle you glimpse her wry sense of humor, her love of the outdoors and her knowledge of the various animals and plants in her domain.
Ann is also the boss of her kitchen, cooking for everyone. And Ann enjoys a ‘drunkie’ at the end of the day, preferring a whiskey to the white wine we mortals share. She is as adept behind the wheel of he 4X4 bakkie as she is in the kitchen although she admits to getting bogged down in the mud in Philip’s land rover recently. Of course, it was Philip’s fault! She misses absolutely nothing. She can be cooking, talking, listening to the CB radio, and evaluating the workers outside simultaneously – all the while planning the future of DeWildt and worrying about an injured wild dog.
Not without flaws, Ann appears to be an old timed Afrikaner who has not yet become comfortable with the new South Africa. She is as at hme speaking Afrikaans as English and while a champion of animal rights, hasn’t, it appears, quite accepted human rights. Having said that, DeWildt had just completed the purchase of the adjacent chicken farm, which, in addition to expanding the centre, will provide upgraded housing with both running water and electricity for their black workers – quite an achievement in this nation with its’ high unemployment.
