Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa

See Elephants and "Big Five" during Safari to Eastern Cape Province

Jul 4, 2009

South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park has the largest concentration of elephants of any park worldwide, as well as lion, black rhinoceros, leopard, and Cape buffalo

Addo Elephant National Park covers some 160,000 hectares near the Indian Ocean Coast in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. A Marine Protected Area currently includes coastal areas, as well as Bird Island, Seal Island, and St. Croix Island. The proposed expansion of the Marine Protected Area will cover 120,000 hectures in Algoa Bay.

Africa's "Big Five" Becomes the "Big Seven" at Addo

The combination of such a large protected terrestrial area with a neighboring protected oceanic habitat is unique. Addo Elephant National Park is the only place in the world where visitlors might see not only Africa's so-called "Big Five" (lions, Cape buffalo, leopards, rhinoceros, and, of course the elephants the park is named for), but also two other of the world's so called "Charismatic megafauna." In plain English, that means large animals that are so well known and appealing to visitors that they attract tourists who come simply to see them; or animals that attract donations for wildlife conservation. Under the right circumstances and with a lot of luck, visitors who undertake a marine tour might catch a glimpse of the southern right whale and the great white shark in the ocean bordering the park.

But it's the elephants most visitors come to see. More than 450 African elephants live in Addo, which was founded in 1930. By 2004, the park's original meagre population of 11 elephants had expanded to more than 300, and lions were re-introduced to take their place as the system's apex predators.

Wildlife Viewing on Safari at Addo

Many visitors to South Africa have a mental image of what an African game park is, but that image often comes from viewing wildlife programs about East Africa on television. So it's worth noting that the landscape is different in South Africa, and at Addo, especially. Vegetation is denser than on the plains of Kenya and Tanzania, and the land hillier. So instead of looking out over the open expanse of the Serengeti in Tanzania or the Masai Mara in Kenya, where huge herds of traveling wildebeest can be seen roaming across a seemingly endless horizon, the visitor to Addo must look more closely, through the vegetation and trees.

No game drive is entirely predictable (although early morning and late evening tend to be the best times.) The safari van drivers know which animals were where the previous day, and they trade information with each other. It is astonishing to realize how close one can be to an elephant – and not even see it! Just when it seems that all the animals are in hiding, a visitor can stumble upon a herd of wild dogs (rare to see, but in residence here), or an entire family of elephant, right down to nursing babies.

Birders should note that in addition to the excitement of Africa's big animal celebrities, Addo is an excellent habitat for bird watching; there's a blind near the main camp, and several intersecting ecological communities. On the marine side, it's even possible to see African penguins.

Options for seeing the park include game drives, "hop on" drives (where the guide joins the visitor in the visitor's vehicle and provides tracking advice and commentary), horseback riding, 4x4 trails, and a few hiking trails.

Addo is located in Eastern Cape Province, a short drive from Port Elizabeth, where there is a regional airport. Accommodations within the park range from basic camp facilities to luxury lodges.

The copyright of the article Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa in Safaris/Jungle Travel is owned by Karen Berger. Permission to republish Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.