We decided to take a trip to the Addo Elephant National Park, we are regulars at the Kruger National Park, and decided to have a change of scenery in a different part of South Africa. Addo Elephant National Park is situated close to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape and is one of the countrys' twenty national parks.

Founded in 1931 the park was created to provide a sanctuary for the eleven remaining elephants in the area. There were many wild elephants in this area for centuries, but hunting over the years had brought the numbers tumbling until there was only 11 left one hunter, Major JP Pretorius is known to have shot 114 elephants between 1919 and 1920!

Over the years, and a few teething problems, such as elephants escaping through the inadequate fence that surrounded the park and again being killed by hunters and farmers whose stock they destroyed, some elephants were even killed by being struck by trains on the surrounding train line. The development by Graham Armstrong in 1954 of the Armstrong Fence put a halt to the escapes and parts of this fence are still used in the Park today. There was only one elephant that ever broke out of the Park, Harpoor was the dominant bull from 1944 to 1968, he had a nick in his ear which was believed to have been caused by a hunters bullet, which would explain why he had a strong dislike to humans. He was deposed from his dominant status by Lanky, a rival bull. Once Harpoor was dethroned he escaped through the Armstrong Fence and unfortunately had to be shot.

The first tourists entered the park in 1981 and the population of elephants has grown ever since, today there are over 400 elephants in the park. Bulls from the Kruger National Park were introduced to bring new genes into Addo National Parks herd and there have been new calves each season.

As with all the National Parks in South Africa, only animals that were natural to the areas are reintroduced into the park, other animals in the park include Cape buffalo, black rhino as well as a variety of antelope species. Lion and spotted hyena has also recently been re-introduced to the area. A species unique to the area is the flightless dung beetle; you will see lots of signs asking that you watch out for these beetles and not to run them over as with 400+ elephants there is an awful lot of dung!!

The park receives over 110,000 visitors each year; 54% of these are International people, with German, Dutch and British nationals making up the majority.

The main entrance as well as two looped tourist roads in the park is tarred while the others are gravelled.