By Leon Marais
Addo is synonymous with the African elephant, greatest of land animals. The place and its people share a long and somewhat turbulent history with the original fauna of the area, and the elephants in particular.
While most of the bigger animals were shot out by the early 1900s, timely mercy saved the last remnants of the once vast Addo herds.
Today about 300 animals roam the reserve, and they can be counted among black rhino, Cape buffalo and lion, which were reintroduced last year.
The reserve itself is also undergoing major expansion, and will ultimately reach from the Great Karoo Plains in the north-west all the way down through the existing national park right to the shores of the Indian Ocean between the Sunday and Bushman River mouths (although the feasibility of animals being able to roam freely within this great conservation area remains to be seen).
Addo offers a superb elephant-watching venue.
Most of the animals are well used to vehicles, and getting close up to a breeding herd is an unforgettable and perhaps even life-changing experience: it will certainly offer an opportunity to reconsider your personal importance in this world.
The calves are enchanting in their innocence and their antics can keep one enthralled for hours.
The bulls are awe-inspiring in their size, strength and demeanour.
A few very large bulls are in the park (some have been translocated from the Kruger to broaden the gene pool) and they command respect from all, clearly confident in their title as the untouchables of their realm.
The cows are all noticeable for a conspicuous absence: they have no tusks, the result of centuries of ivory-hunting in the area.
Elephant-viewing in Addo depends, to a large extent, on the day's weather.
On warm, still days they will be found out in the open on the vast plains (old cultivated fields) or thrashing around in the mud at one of the water points, such as Hapoor, from mid-morning onwards.
On cool, cloudy and windy days the elephants tend to prefer feeding in the thick bush that covers much of the reserve and are generally reluctant to show themselves.
This can be disappointing if you are there for only one day and the weather is not in your favour, but fortunately there is a lot more to see in Addo than just elephants.
The buffalo seldom venture out of the thicket in daylight hours, although you can be lucky enough to see a herd in the open during the early mornings before they retreat back into the cover of bush.
The same goes for the black rhino, which can also be seen during the late afternoon.
The best places to look for rhino are the open plains around Gorah Loop and among the clusters of bush on the Mbabala Loop during the early morning or late evening (watch out for gate times, though).
Ostrich, Burchell's zebra, red hartebeest and eland are abundant in the reserve and can create a reasonable facsimile of the Serengeti when spread out over the open plains. Kudu are plentiful in the thicket.
Smaller animals to be seen include striped polecat, black-footed cat, aardwolf and porcupine, meerkat and yellow mongoose, bush pig and warthog. Birds abound, particularly in and around the rest camp, and will keep the twitchers busy enough.
Also look out for the really small stuff - the rare flightless dung beetle (endemic to Addo), striped mouse, Cape cobra and boomslang, among others.
The volatile weather so close to the coast and the stunning views provide an ever-changing backdrop as one drives around the reserve.
From misty mornings to bright and sunny blue-sky days, from glorious sunset vistas to the cold and gloomy, Addo will more than likely show herself to you in a variety of moods and hues.
Speaking of variety, accommodation options are wide open. Camping and less expensive chalet accommodation are available in the park rest camp.
There's the opulence of Gorah Elephant Camp, an exquisite tented camp in the park, with a wonderfully restored farmhouse as the main building (which dates back to 1800 and is now a national historical monument).
Other options include several high-end guest-houses and lodges in the vicinity, and Port Elizabeth is only a 45-minute drive away, with ever more options.
In any event, it is extremely unlikely that even a day visit to Addo will fail to produce any elephant sightings.
Sure, you may be there during inclement weather and see only a handful of specimens out of the whole herd, you may see neither calves nor bulls, but regardless: it is hard not to have a superb time at Addo Elephant National Park.
- To book at Addo, phone 042-233-0556.
- This article was originally published on page 10 of The Saturday Star on November 12, 2005