Addo Elephant Park in South
Africa’s Eastern Cape Province was proclaimed a game reserve
in 1931. This was to safeguard, from hunters, the last remaining 11 wild elephants
that were still roaming the area.
Since then the herds have grown steadily. Today they contain over 350
elephants. There are numerous other species in the park, including
lion, which have recently been introduced. Addo Elephant Park was
so successful that it actually started to get overcrowded. Recently
surrounding farmland was acquired and the park has been extended. It now covers 492 000ha. It encompasses a coastal belt with a dune
field, and extends into the ocean. The 120 000 hectare marine reserve
includes islands containing Africa's largest populations of penguins
and gannets.
Addo is home to the Big Seven: lion, buffalo, elephant,
leopard, rhino, shark and whale. But the highlight here is watching
the elephants, especially around a waterhole. The giant dung beetle
is also an important occupant of this park. A few facts about an
elephant’s digestion system help demonstrate why: an adult elephant
deposits around 150kg of dung every day, dispatched every 15 minutes.
The dung beetle has an enormous job clearing up. The flightless
dung beetle is found almost exclusively in this park (other dung beetles
can fly), and are important to the ecology of the area.
No citrus fruits can be taken into the park as Addo elephants have
developed a craving for them. A mere whiff of an orange sends them
into a frenzy! This region's temperate climate is influenced by the Indian
Ocean. It means that this is a good park to visit at anytime of the year,
and you are almost guaranteed to see elephant.
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