Addo Elephant Park - Encounter Nature's Giants
As you travel along the garden route you will find many opportunities to enjoy learning more about one of nature's most majestic giants – the elephant. One of the best opportunities to actually see these kindly creatures up close can probably be found at the Addo Elephant Park. Nestled in the bushveld of the Sunday’s River region, this impressive nature reserve was originally proclaimed a protected area in 1931. At that time, only eleven elephants remained in the area and the step was desperately needed in order to protect this much-loved creature.
Today this pachyderm sanctuary is home to over 450 elephants, amongst other wildlife. It has been extended on more than one occasion and the park currently measures approximately 164 000 ha. There are plans to extend the Addo National Elephant Park into a 360 000 ha mega-park which are moving forwards at a good pace and which will further improve the living conditions of the both elephants and the other wildlife which reside on the reserve. In addition to this, the newly extended reserve will cater to all aspects of the big five and will also extend to the coast where a further 120 000 ha will make up a marine reserve. This reserve will feature great white sharks and whales, which will enable the park to house the “Big 7” It will also house the largest breeding population of Cape gannets in the world and the second largest population of African penguins. In between the animals, the park will have a rich heritage of archaeological and historical sites, a wide variety of accommodation, and five of the country’s seven major biomes. Other animals you can currently see in the park include Cape buffalo, black rhino, a variety of antelope, the flightless dung beetle, the black-backed jackal, meerkat (suricate), zebra, ostrich and warthog. The new extension plans will not only draw in more revenue from tourism but will help to better educate the local people about the necessity of preserving our natural environment for the benefit of both ourselves and of future generations.
At the moment the reserve facilities feature a restaurant, a lake, a small shop and more than one game viewing area. Accommodation takes the form of cottages can be hired or camping grounds. There is a hotel a short distance away at Zuurburg. Visitors over the age of six can enjoy game drives, though it is advised that you not take citrus fruit with you whilst on safari. Drives can be enjoyed at sunrise, sunset, at night and during the course of the day and each different time of day will afford different game viewing opportunities. If you prefer to navigate your own way around the park, you can make use of the Eyethu Hop-on service where trained guides can join you in your vehicle and guide you through the area. In doing so you will be supporting a local community project and a family. Other activities at Addo Elephant Park include hiking, horseback trails, bird watching, 4x4 trails and day walks. Make sure that you make the most of your trip to Addo Elephant Park and you’ll never for get your stay here.
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