Elephants, Elephants, and more Elephants!

30 Replies

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!

Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Elephant’s Tail
Addo’s Tusker Derek (2017/12/26)
Addo’s Tusker Derek (2017/12/26)
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants
Addo Elephants

30 thoughts on “Elephants, Elephants, and more Elephants!”

  8. John

    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.😊

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    Reply ↓
    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      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.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓
      1. Toortsie

        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.

        Liked by 1 person

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