If you thought our previous post on the Addo Elephant National Park was a bit short on elephant photo’s, you’d be right. But Addo’s star attractions really deserve a post all to themselves, wouldn’t you agree?
With the proclamation of the Addo Elephant National Park in 1931, only 11 African Elephants remained in the Addo district. Initially, the Park was not fenced to keep the elephants in and when they left the Park they were at the mercy of the “civilisation” that wanted to destroy them all, so the first Park manager made the decision to feed them with citrus and other fresh produce to keep them within his boundaries. Slowly but surely their numbers started growing, but by the time the Park was finally surrounded with an elephant-proof fence in 1954, there was still only 22 elephants at Addo. The unnatural practice of feeding the elephants, which in the end was done more for the entertainment of tourists than for the elephants’ sake, ended in 1979. By then the herd numbered about 100 animals, but Addo’s elephants have responded wonderfully to the protection they’ve been afforded since the Park’s proclamation, and today number over 600!
DeWetsWild 
It’s great to read a good news story about these gorgeous African elephants!
Good news on the environmental front is always welcome!
So many baby elephants! 💕
Signs of a healthy and happy population!
Great collection of images. I always enjoy elephant compounds at the zoo! Must be cool to see them in the wild.
Thanks very much, John. Seeing elephants in the wild is a great privilege indeed!
I wasn’t too sure what that one photo was, but figured it out! Never would think they had hairy tales! 🙂
Well, very sparsely hairy… 😀
LOL!
Very nice gallery, great post.
Thanks so much, P J B!
Incredible current photos of these majestic creatures makes my heart sing! thanks!
Great to know you share our love for these majestic creatures, Eddie!
Hi guys. You are right. These photos are spectacular. I like the elephant and warthog one best!
If you love elephants as much as we do, Addo is heaven! Thanks for looking in, Kim!
So beautiful and proud animals. Think it´s one of the most clever land living animal who exist. Finally, China has banned trade in ivory, so we hope it will help the elephants.😊
As long as they are willing and able to enforce the ban, John, it should make a tremendous difference. And hopefully the same goes for the poaching of pangolins and rhinos and whatever other creatures are threatened by traditional superstitions in the East.
My ou gunstelinge! Ek is MAL oor Addo
En ons verstaan heeltemal hoekom, Toortsie – Addo is n baie spesiale plek! Kuier julle gereeld daar?
Nie so gereeld nie. Ons was seker maar al so drie keer daar. As ons deur die Oos-Kaap ry, probeer ons om daar aan te gaan. Die laaste keer het ons in die park self geslaap, gewoonlik slaap ons by Avoca, dis heelwat goedkoper.
Die Oos-Kaap het sommer n klomp natuur-juwele ne!
O ja!
A great success story!
Very true – shows that humans can look after the earth much better than we do.
I’m so happy to read this story and those baby elephants are adorable!!
janet
The babies really do melt your heart!
I love to see that kind of success story!
For a change humans realised what they were doing just in time!
You know I love this post! These are my guys.
My favourites as well, Lois! I can watch them for hours. The proud bulls, the protective mothers, the playful calves…