the park of - love wild africa · 94 getaway march 2013 addo’s other sections most of the big...

the Park of Since its start as a small park to save the Eastern Cape’s last elephants, Addo has grown to cover a vast area of mountains, forest, bush and beach. Despite its challenges, it’s one of Africa’s greatest conservation stories. By Scott Ramsay.

Year in the wild Addo ElEphAnt nAtionAl pArk

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88 Getaway march 2013


Colossal, immense or ginormous

are appropriate adjectives to

describe an elephant. Weigh

ing up to 7 000 kilograms and measur-

ing four metres at its front shoulder,

an African bull elephant can eat 300

kilograms of plant matter and drink

around 200 litres of water every day.

Some of the largest tusks – their upper

incisor teeth – weigh more than 75

kilograms each, which is equivalent

to that of an average man. Elephants

are very, very big.

But these statistics and adjectives

don’t fully prepare you for a close

encounter with Earth’s largest land

animal. Wild elephants command

attention and respect like no other

creature and, in Addo Elephant

National Park, just 40 kilometres

northeast of Port Elizabeth, there’s

every chance of getting near to them.

My first meeting with Addo’s

elephants was more like a roadblock.

I turned a corner in my car, and a

breeding herd of 20-odd individuals

was walking determinedly up the

road towards me. Hemmed in on

either side by the bush and from the

back by another vehicle, I couldn’t go

anywhere. I leaned out of my window

to take a few photos and, as they

came closer, I had no choice but to

surrender meekly to their indisputable

authority, pulling my camera back in.

They passed within centimetres, the

matriarch giving me a sideways

glance as if to say ‘driver’s licence,

please,’ before moving on.

The next day, I was with guide Martin

Bronkhorst from Gorah Elephant Camp,


a beautiful private lodge in the east of

the park where I’d been staying. A lone

bull was pulling up grass, still damp

from recent rains. Martin slowed the

Landy and stopped a few metres away.

The bull stopped feeding and ambled

over to us, standing alongside the

vehicle. An elephantine eclipse

blocked out the sun. His tusk almost

scraped the bonnet. ‘He seems to be

enjoying our company,’ Martin whis-

pered. ‘I hope he is,’ I replied softly.

After a few minutes of not doing any-

thing in particular, the bull obviously

decided he needed to be somewhere

else. He waved his trunk at us before

sauntering off down the road as if on

his way to another appointment.

‘Incredible, hey?’ Martin smiled. We

agreed that neither of us had felt un-

duly threatened during our silent meet-

ing with Mr Elephant. He had treated

us with consideration and respect.

‘The Addo elephants are very

friendly,’ he explained. ‘And that’s

something of a miracle, considering

everything they’ve been through.’

Forgive and forgetIf the saying that an elephant never

forgets is true, then the elephants of

‘the addo elephants are very friendly – and that’s something of a miracle, considering everything they’ve been through’

opposite: Two bull elephants in a spekboom thicket, as seen from conservation manager John Adendorff’s aircraft. above left: A greater double-collared sunbird on an aloe flower near the main rest camp. above riGht: The Alexandria coastal forest in the south yields an array of fruits in summer.


Addo must be very forgiving. Several

million African elephants roamed the

continent during the early 1700s and

the South African population was an

estimated 100 000, many of which

would have ranged across the south-

eastern Cape where Addo lies today.

The slaughter began when the Euro-

peans arrived 400 years ago. The last

elephant in Cape Town was shot in

1652 and hunters moved steadily up

the east coast. By 1918, there were no

more than 140 elephants near Addo,

down from several thousand just

a century before. Here the animals

hid away in the dense spekboom, a

rubbery, near-impenetrable succulent

bush that grows, coincidentally, to the

height of an elephant.

Surrounded by citrus farmers, the

elephants had nowhere to go and the

orange orchards proved too juicy for

them to ignore. At night they’d emerge

from the thickets and raid the crops.

Soon farmers were petitioning govern-

ment to kill all the elephants and a

hunter, Major PJ Pretorius, was em-

ployed by the Administrator of the

Cape Colony. Between 1919 and 1920,

he shot about 114 elephants with

his .475 Jeffries double-barrelled rifle

and captured two calves to be sold

to Boswell’s Circus. On one occasion,

he maimed an elephant with a shot

through its spinal column, then climbed

onto its back and shot it through the

head. In another hunt, he shot 22 ele-

phants in just a few minutes. At the

end of the macabre year, just 16

elephants remained.

The public finally woke up to the

tragedy, but it took another decade

before authorities acknowledged the

need to save the last of the Cape’s

elephants. Addo Elephant National

Park was proclaimed in 1931 and

the few remaining elephants had to

be chased into its boundaries from

surrounding areas with firecrackers,

shotguns and bonfires. However, the

park wasn’t fenced and the elephants

wandered back into the surrounding

orchards, where they came into con-

flict with farmers, further reducing

their numbers to 11.

Another 23 years passed before

warden Graham Armstrong developed

a unique fencing system of railway

sleepers and Otis lift cables unbreak-

able by elephants. In 1954, about 20

square kilometres of land was fenced

and finally, after four centuries of

hunting, the remaining elephants were

safe from people and their guns.

Still, for several decades, the ele-

phants feared or hated anything that

looked or smelt like a human. During

the day, they would hide away in

the spekboom or chase people and

overturn cars when they could. They

clearly hadn’t forgotten the years of

hunting and persecution.

The big and the small Today, however, it seems as if the

elephants have forgiven us. More

than 650 elephants roam the park,

mingling peacefully beside the vehicles

of about 140 000 tourists a year.

‘This is undoubtedly Addo’s most

famous success story,’ park manager

Norman Johnson explained. ‘It’s why

the park was proclaimed, to save

these elephants from local extinction,

addo was all about elephants at first, but today it’s about conserving the biomes and their animal and plant species


above left and riGht: The dung beetles of Addo – and other species – play a critical role in recycling nutrients from animals into the soil.



and even though they’re still wild

animals, they’ve become very habit-

uated to people and vehicles.

‘The elephants now are so success-

ful they’re becoming a nice problem.

At some stage we’ll need to look at

controlling the population, but for

now we won’t use culling as an op-

tion. We’ll either move elephants into

new parts of the park, or we’ll look at

using contraceptives in certain sectors

of the elephant population.’

‘Addo was all about elephants at

first, but today it’s about conserving

the biomes and their animal and plant

species,’ said Norman.

The park has grown considerably

since proclamation and today the

terrestrial part covers 1 800 square

kilometres, with a long-term target

of 2 600. It stretches roughly 150 kilo-

metres end to end across diverse

ecosystems; five of South Africa’s

nine biomes are found in Addo,

namely Nama Karoo, fynbos, Albany

thicket, forest and Indian Ocean

coastal belt.

Key conservation concerns include

the endemic flightless dung beetle

(Circellium bacchus, which is crucial

for recycling nutrients from dung into

the soil), black rhino and Cape buffalo,

which barely survived the hunting of

the 1800s and is one of the few dis-

ease-free populations in South Africa.

Then there’s the remarkable thicket

biome, an endemic yet threatened

type of vegetation in South Africa.

The predominant plant is spekboom,

which forms the basis of Addo’s highly

productive ecosystem. ‘Spekboom is

amazing,’ said conservation manager

John Adendorff. ‘Besides its medicinal

values and ability to sequester carbon

from the atmosphere, it’s able to sus-

tain high concentrations of animals,

top: The disease-free Cape buffalo population of Addo is one of the few in the country that wasn’t wiped out by hunters. above left and riGht: On the beaches of the Alexandria dune field are numerous middens, Stone Age rubbish dumps where food was processed and eaten, leaving behind fossilised bones for modern-day people to find. opposite paGe: The mouth of the Sundays River is at the beginning of the Alexandria dune field, the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

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Travel planner overleaf

including elephants.’

The reason for Addo’s high elephant

density – about 2,8 elephants per

square kilometre – is simple: they love

spekboom. It’s full of water, has a high

protein and vitamin content and, un-

like many savanna trees or bushes,

it grows back readily after being

browsed. Even just breaking off a

stem and leaving it on the ground

can result in the growth of a new

plant. The more elephants eat

spekboom, the better it grows.

It’s not just elephants that thrive

on it. During the day, black rhino use

it to hide away and 60 per cent of the

Addo buffalo’s diet is made up of

spekboom (elsewhere buffalo tend

to graze grass elsewhere in Africa).

Several antelope species, including

a thriving kudu population, also

browse on the plant.

All these herbivores make for happy

predators and lion and spotted hyena

are doing well after reintroductions

into the park. From just six lions intro-

duced from Kgalagadi Transfrontier

Park, Addo’s population reached 22

before some were relocated to other

reserves; and from eight individuals

brought in from Kruger, its spotted

hyena numbers have climbed to 20.

‘In the beginning, the lion’s special-

ity was buffalo. At one stage there

were two males which killed buffalo

almost exclusively; they could take

out up to 12 buffalo in one month.

And the hyenas are definitely not

scavengers; they hunt kudu success-

fully,’ John said. ‘At some point, pred-

ators can seriously affect herbivore

numbers so, like all protected areas,

we have to keep a balance so gave

away some lion.’

Lions now concentrate on species

such as red hartebeest, kudu, eland

and ostrich while buffalo have devel-

oped successful defensive strategies

by forming larger herds and staying

out of the thick bush.

‘the elephants now are so successful they’re becoming a nice problem’


Addo’s other sectionsMost of the big wildlife is in the Main

Section, where the spekboom thicket

occurs and the park’s biggest rest

camp lies. Located between the N2

national highway and the public

R342 road in the north, this is where

most visitors start their stay at Addo

before exploring the other sections

to the north or south.

Sections are separated by fences

or public roads and John, who has

worked here for 20 years, thinks some

of the lesser-known areas are more

beautiful than Addo’s main wildlife

section. ‘The mountains of Zuurberg

are my favourite. They’re one of the

oldest wilderness areas in Africa,

declared in 1896; it’s untouched and

wild and the only way to explore is

by hiking or on horseback.’

To the northwest, in the rain

shadow of the mountains, is the arid

Darlington Section, where black rhino

munch on spiky euphorbia plants and

Darlington Dam gives relief from the

intense summer heat. From there,

4x4ers can tackle a day trail over the

top, above left and riGht: Conservation student Melissa Perozzi on the two-day Alexandria Trail, which goes through a surprisingly beautiful section where Outeniqua yellowwoods soar into the heavens, and small mushrooms and lichen thrive in the temperate undergrowth.


mountains into the adjacent Kabouga

Section in the south. Some of the

best views in the park are on offer

here, while forested kloofs shelter

remote, isolated populations of

Knysna turaco and the Sundays

River provides a home for the few

hippos that Addo protects.

In the far south, the coastal Woody

Cape Section’s lush temperate forest

abuts the Alexandria dune field, the

largest in the southern hemisphere.

The beautiful two-day hiking trail in

this section is a must-do.

There are plans to develop an ex-

tensive 120-square-kilometre marine

conservation area adjacent to the

coastal section and incorporating the

protected offshore St Croix and Bird

islands, which are home to critical

populations of endemic African

penguins and Cape Gannets.

‘That’s our biggest challenge at

the moment,’ John admitted. ‘Both

penguins and gannets are in a gloomy

situation. There were 10 000 pairs of

penguins 15 years ago on St Croix;

today there are no more than 7 000

and that’s the largest breeding colony

in the world.’

Declining fish stocks and global

warming are seen as the main culprits,

both of which are out of direct control

of John and his team.

‘We do as much as we can. We have

teams actively looking after the birds.

Kelp gulls and seals are stopped from

eating the eggs and chicks and if we

see a penguin that is sick or injured,

we’ll intervene and rehabilitate it.

We have to because, unless things

change drastically, African penguins

could be extinct in 20 years.’

Symbol of hopeDespite this, John remains optimistic

that conservation authorities will win

the day. The creation of the proposed

marine protected area will secure

some of the fish stocks for penguins

and provide sanctuary to a host of

other marine species.

It would be a fitting finale to Addo’s

growth from a small patch of spek-

boom created to save elephants, to a

2 000-square-kilometre conservation

area protecting species as diverse as

dung beetles and black rhino, cycads

and yellowwood trees, great white

sharks and southern-right whales.

I asked John whether elephants will

be seen on the coast of Addo again,

as they did 400 years ago. Today,

they’re restricted from doing so by

the N2 national highway.

‘It’s unlikely,’ John pondered,

‘but, you know, in the United States

of America I have seen bridges built

over highways to allow wildlife to

cross. Maybe someone, some day

will have the money and courage

to do that here.’

Imagine that! A herd of elephant

crossing over a bridge above the traffic

of the N2, making their way down to

a beach at the southern end of Africa

to dip their toes in the salty water and

commune with whales.

It remains just a dream, but for now

the kings and queens of Addo seem

more than happy.

‘the mountains of Zuurberg are one of the oldest wilderness areas in africa; it’s untouched and wild and the only way to explore is by hiking or on horseback’

Travel planner overleaf


Getting thereThere are two main access points to Addo: the gate near the main rest camp and Maty-holweni Gate in the south. The most accessible route from Port Elizabeth to the main gate is to drive east on the N2 before turning north onto the N10. Take the R342 west for 23 kilometres until you see the sign to Addo. To access Maty-holweni Gate, take the N2 east from Port Elizabeth, then turn left at the sign to Addo just after crossing the Sundays River near Colchester.

Gates and operating hoursThe main entrance is open from 07h00 to 19h00 and Matyholweni Gate opens between 07h00 and 17h00. There is a daily fee of R40 an adult and R20 a child. Wild Card holders enter free.

What to doGuided game drives cost from R240 a person, a hop-on guide in your own vehicle costs R180 a vehicle and horse trails are from R168 a person. The Bedrogfontein 4x4 Trail in the Kabouga Section costs R380 a vehicle. The two-day Alexandria Hiking Trail is R230 a person.

Where to stayAddo Rest Camp is the largest camp and offers self-catering campsites (R190 a

site), safari tents (R485 for two people), forest cabins (R640 for two people), chalets (R745 for two people), cottages (R1 045 for two), rondavels (R1 045 for two people) and guest houses (R2 985 for four people).

The much quieter and more remote Matyholweni Camp in the south offers 15 self-catering chalets. From R960 for two people.

For the more adventurous, the small, fenced Spekboom Tented Camp has five tents on decks with communal ablutions and cooking area. Costs R595 for two people.

Narina Bush Camp in the Zuurberg Section along the Wit River on the southern slopes of the mountains, is basic with four two-man tents. Costs R990 for the camp.

The stone, self-catering Kabouga Cottage can be accessed by 4x4 only and sleeps six people in two bed-rooms. From R405 a night for the first two people.

Mvubu Campsite with six stands is also in this section and you need a high ground-clearance vehicle. From R100 a night for the first two people.

Darlington Dam Cottage sleeps six people and costs R405 for first two people.

For forest lovers, the rustic Langebos Hikers’ Huts (in the Woody Cape section in the far south) are superb; this is where the Alexandria

Cottages at addo rest Camp

Hiking Trail starts. The luxurious five-star

Gorah Elephant Camp is one of a few private lodges in Addo, and is probably the best for game viewing as it’s the only one within the main wildlife section. Unlike most of Addo which is covered in dense spekboom, Gorah is surrounded by open grass-lands (a result of old farming practices) and so provides plenty of food for grazers such as zebra and red harte-beest, which in turn attract predators such as lion and hyena. Guests at the unfenced camp are often treated to sightings of lion and black rhino, which come in the evening to drink from a small natural pool at the edge of the

manor house stoep. Eleven luxury safari tents with bath-rooms are linked by wooden boardwalks to the restored manor house, where gourmet meals are served. From R3 995 a person a night, including all meals, teas, non-alcoholic beverages and activities. Tel 044-501-1111, email [email protected], www.hunterhotels.com.

Who to contactTel 012-428-9111, email [email protected], www.sanparks.org.

For more places to stay in the Eastern Cape,

turn to the Getaway Guide on page 155 or visit accommo-dation.getaway.co.za.

langebos hikers’ hut

Photojournalist Scott Ramsay

recently completed Year in the

Wild, a journey to 31 of South

Africa’s most special nature

reserves, including all the national parks. Year in the

Wild was sponsored by South African National

Parks, CapeNature, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eastern

Cape Parks, Ford, Goodyear, Frontrunner, Evosat,

Conqueror Trailers, Vodacom, Digicape, Lacie,

Garmin, National Luna, Safari Centre Cape Town, Escape Gear

and EeziAwn. Follow Scott’s continuing adventures at www.

yearinthewild.com and www.facebook.com/yearinthewild. You

can also follow his journey on blog.getaway.co.za.


tents at Gorah elephant Camp Gorah elephant Camp’s Manor house

the park of - love wild africa · 94 getaway march 2013 addo’s other sections most of the big...

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