Category Archives: Addo Elephant National Park

Summertide Diary: Exploring Addo (part three)

30 December 2020

Today was our last day in the Addo Elephant National Park, and that meant it was also the last day we had to enjoy with Joubert’s maternal grandparents and we all felt a little melancholy. It was a very windy day and most of the animals were hiding away from the gusts, so we decided to do an extended morning drive to the Ngulube and Harvey’s loop in the southern section of the Park, again taking a break at Jack’s Picnic Spot, and then spend the afternoon hours together in camp.

Early morning Addo scenery

Red-billed Teal

Pale Chanting Goshawk taking on rooster-duty

Bokmakierie

Read the sign! 😀

Terrestrial Brownbul

Valley-bush Euphorbias

Warthog

Hadeda Ibis

Common Meadow White butterfly

Red Hartebeest on the run

Female Ostrich

Cape Chestnut Tree in a hillside forest

We enjoyed a wonderful final sunset over Addo, the clouds glowing red in the last rays of sunshine coming over the horizon. This is Joubert’s photo. The next morning there would be sad goodbyes as we left for Mountain Zebra National Park while Marilize’s parents returned home to Jeffreys Bay.

While we were enjoying our meal on the stoep that evening this Small-spotted Genet, picked up by our small camera trap, was (unsuccessfully) looking for leftovers of our braai (barbeque) just outside the little circle of light around our chalet.

If you’d like to learn more about the Addo Elephant National Park’s history and all it has to offer visitors, why not have a read through this post we compiled after our previous visit? And to follow along on our travels through Addo, you might find this map (from the SANParks website) most handy.Addo map from https://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/tourism/map.php

Summertide Diary: Hyenas versus Elephant

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Yesterday we promised you more photos of the fascinating interaction between the Spotted Hyenas and Elephant at Hapoor Dam in Addo Elephant National Park, and here they are.

When we arrived on the scene, the hyenas were quite far from the road and only barely visible without binoculars (or a 300mm camera lens). We could see they were eating, but couldn’t figure out what. Then one adult hyena picked up a sizable chunk of meat and started walking towards us, followed closely by a sub-adult with a piece of leg in its mouth. As they came closer we could identify the prey item as a buffalo calf, or what was left of it anyway. Whether it was caught by the hyenas themselves or killed by lions and then stolen we’ll never know. In any event, the hyenas promptly deposited their meat in a drinking trough on the opposite side of the road to where the actual Hapoor Dam is. Caching food in this fashion is quite well-known hyena behaviour.

The hyenas were still tussling in the water, apparently not knowing whether they want to save their meal for later or gobble it all up now, when a big elephant bull appeared out of the spekboom-thicket some distance away. And he was obviously on a mission. In no time the elephant closed the distance to the hyenas, and while the courage of the younger of the two predators gave in much quicker than that of his older pack mate both had to vacate their bath-cum-larder before the agitated bull got too close. For his part the elephant then gave the fouled water one indignant sniff before moving across the road to drink from Hapoor Dam proper.

With the elephant gone, the hyenas quickly moved back to their pantry, retrieved their meat and continued their meal. The day was heating up though and the Pied Crows were starting to get really annoying, and so they put their meat away a final time to be enjoyed later.

Spotted Hyenas feeding far into the veld

Bringing his meat closer

Spotted Hyena and Buffalo prey

The water is a perfect hiding place

Youngster lending a hoof

Youngster lending a hoof (photo by Joubert)

Time to fight about who gets the lion’s share (photo by Joubert)

Time to fight about who gets the lion’s share

Time to fight about who gets the lion’s share (photo by Joubert)

Time to fight about who gets the lion’s share

Time to fight about who gets the lion’s share (photo by Joubert)

Enter elephant stage left

Elephant locked onto target!

Elephant locked onto target! (photo by Joubert)

Elephant locked onto target!

Elephant locked onto target!(photo by Joubert)

Elephant locked onto target!

Darn, just missed! (photo by Joubert)

Time to resume the feast

Time to resume the feast (photo by Joubert)

Time to resume the feast

But now the crows want to join in (photo by Joubert)

But now the crows want to join in

And so its time to put everything away till later

Summertide Diary: Exploring Addo (part two)

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29 December 2020

The first leg of our route through the Addo Elephant Park this morning, again managing to leave camp as the gates opened, went past Gwarrie Pan and Rooidam towards Hapoor Dam. Still being early in the morning there was little animal activity around the watering holes but lots to see along the way nevertheless, both big and small.

Bush Karoo Rat

Warthog

Elephant cow and calf

It was on arrival at Hapoor Dam that the morning turned really exciting as we came across spotted hyenas feeding on the carcass of a buffalo calf, soon to have their feast interrupted by a very annoyed elephant bull. More on that tomorrow!

Annoyed elephant spoiling the hyena feast

I think by now the birds inhabiting Jack’s Picnic Spot started to recognise us as friends, for they were very eager to join us at our breakfast table and didn’t let any rusk crumbs that dared drop to the ground go unpunished!

Southern Boubou

Cape Robin-Chat

Terrestrial Brownbul

Bar-throated Apalis

From “Jack’s” we headed south-east as far as Arizona Dam before turning back to camp along the same way we came, just in case there was still some drama at Hapoor (which there was, but this time it involved elephants waiting for a work crew to fix an errant water pump so they could get their morning drink).

Another cute elephant calf

Scrub Hare

Jackal Buzzard

Elephants waiting at Hapoor Dam for the humans to finish fixing a pump

Angulate Tortoise

Red Hartebeest (photo by Joubert)

Red Hartebeest

Malachite Sunbird with Pig’s Ear flowers

From the moment we left camp for our afternoon drive it was noticeable that there was a sudden explosion in the Park’s Warthog population, as seemingly every sow we saw was accompanied by little bundles of joy – not something we noticed on any of our previous drives.

Warthog piglets with their mom

Warthog piglets with their moms

Warthog piglets

Warthog piglet

Warthog piglets

Warthog boar

Another notable encounter in the afternoon, which by then turned exceedingly windy, was with a family of foraging Meerkats, a perennial favourite with visitors to our parks.

Meerkat sentry

Meerkats foraging

Meerkat sentry

Meerkats searching for food

But warthogs and meerkats weren’t all that we crossed our path that afternoon and we returned to camp very pleased with our day – again!

Karoo Boer-bean flowers

Elephant drinking at Spekboom waterhole

Leopard Tortoises are commonly encountered in Addo

Curious young kudu bull

Summertide Diary: Elephant Antics

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It probably goes without saying that the African Elephants are the star attractions at Addo Elephant National Park, and the grey behemoths certainly are not shy to show themselves. These charismatic creatures are a joy to behold as they go about their daily routines, and their social interactions are always fascinating to watch.

Young elephants especially are full of energy and just love roughhousing with a playmate whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Rowdy elephant youngsters

Rowdy elephant youngsters (photo by Joubert)

Rowdy elephant youngsters

And if there’s no other elephant youngsters around to play with, warthogs and zebras will do just as well – if only they’d stand still!

Elephant mock-charging a nervous warthog at Marion Baree waterhole

Elephant mock-charging a nervous warthog at Marion Baree waterhole (photo by Joubert)

Warthog fleeing!

Warthog fleeing while a bemused zebra looks on

Who wants to play!?

Hey. where are you going!?

When watching elephants in the water there’s just no denying that they are having loads of fun at the pool!

Baby elephants playing in the mud

Baby elephants playing in the mud (photo by Joubert)

Whole group of elephants enjoying the muddy water!

Rough and tumble in the water

Rough and tumble in the water (photo by Joubert)

Mid-morning at Addo’s Hapoor Dam we were watching a herd around the waterhole, and noticed two baby elephants playing together. One little tyke sauntered off to its mother for a drink of milk, while one remained standing in the original spot. And when he realised he was all alone, and feeling hungry, there’s only one thing a baby elephant knows to do to get mom’s attention: THROW A TANTRUM! He squealed and trumpeted, stomped his feet and even stood on his hind legs for a split second, until mom came running looking more than a little embarrassed at her boy’s behaviour! What parent doesn’t know that feeling?

Playful Baby Elephants

First baby walks off with mom

But where’s my mom!?

Baby Elephant tantrum!

At last Mom arrives

Pushing at Mom’s leg for attention

Ah! Finally!!!

Mom saunters off to join her sister and the two friends are re-united

At the hide in the camp we peaked through a hole in the fence to get this picture of a touching moment between mother and calf. Elephant heaven.

Summertide Diary: Exploring Addo (part one)

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28 December 2020

This morning we’re just in time for the gates opening at of 05:30 and ready to search and explore everything Addo Elephant National Park has to offer. The signs along the way give a good indication of what we might expect to see…

Taking care of dung beetles at Addo Elephant National Park

Addo signs

We head for the Gorah Loop in the east, where the more open vistas make game-viewing much easier than in the thickets that predominate over other sections of the park.

Ant-eating Chat

Bat-eared Fox

Pied Crow strutting his stuff!

Black-backed Jackal

Scrub Hares

Plains Zebra

Addo Flightless Dung Beetle

Having left so early meant no breakfast before we headed out the door, so by now there was only one logical place to head to – Jack’s Picnic Spot – so that we could fill up on coffee and rusks. Jack’s is well frequented in the early morning, and not only by humans!

Plumbago flowers

Cape Bulbul

Southern Boubou

Brimstone Canary

Heading back to camp we have some wonderful encounters with elephants and buffaloes, the two members of the “Big 5” most commonly seen here at Addo.

Sleepy elephants

Big old buffalo

Red-billed Teals

Back at camp there’s ample opportunity to walk around, and there’s few better places to do that inside Addo Main Rest Camp than on the Discovery Trail, where interesting information is provided on the park’s fauna and flora as you amble along.

Southern Masked Weaver female

Southern Boubou

Cape Bulbul

Cape Glossy Starling

African Common White

Pig’s Ear flower

African Squill (Drimia altissima) flowers

African Squill (Drimia altissima) flowers being devoured by caterpillars of the (probably) Heliconiinae family of butterflies

Spekboom

Vygie

Probably Crassula perforata

Mother-in-law’s tongue

I’m still trying to figure out which tree this belongs to!

Vygie

Cape Batis male

Karoo Num-num flowers

African Small White butterfly on Karoo Num-num flowers

Baboons

Red-winged Starling female

Red-winged Starling male

A big elephant bull almost disappears in the wide open spaces of the Addo Elephant National Park

Malachite Sunbird

Vervet Monkey drinking from an airconditioner outlet

For our afternoon drive we opt for another jaunt along Gorah Loop, and again it doesn’t disappoint!

Black-headed Heron

Karoo Boer-bean buds

Jackal Buzzard

Brimstone Canary

Red-capped Lark

Helmeted Guineafowl

Small group of Kudu ewes

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Herd of Eland

This young kudu bull was in quite a hurry – why and where it was headed to was less clear.

Kudu on the run

Summertide Diary: Spending time with hungry elephants

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I can’t think of another reserve in South Africa where the elephants are quite so relaxed around humans and their vehicles as they are in the Addo Elephant National Park. Of course this allows visitors to observe up close just how dexterously elephants use their trunks – and feet! – to uproot even tiny morsels of tasty plants.

Marveling at the skill of an elephant uprooting plants to feed on

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Addo

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27 December 2020

After spending a lovely three days over Christmas at home with Marilize’s parents, whom we haven’t seen in person since they retired to Jeffreys Bay 15 months ago, we all headed together to the Addo Elephant National Park‘s Matyholweni Gate, just an hour’s drive away, for a four night visit to this very special place.

It takes a few hours of leisurely driving to travel through the Park from Matyholweni to the Main Camp where we were booked to stay, and this of course means there’s wonderful sightseeing, bird-watching and game-viewing along the way! Jack’s Picnic Spot, just a little over halfway, is a great place to stretch tired legs while enjoying visits from all kinds of birds and other small creatures at your picnic table.

Steppe Buzzard (photo by Joubert)

Fiscal Flycatcher

Plains Zebra stallion close-up (photo by Joubert)

Playful Plains Zebra stallion

Scenic road snaking through Addo Elephant National Park

Yellow Mongoose

European Roller

Yellow Pansy butterfly

Jackal Buzzard

Looking out over Addo Elephant National Park to Algoa Bay in the background

Brown-veined White butterfly

Cape Weaver female

Big elephant bull being very protective of a youngster at the Marion Baree waterhole

Sombre Greenbul at Jack’s Picnic Spot

Speckled Mousebird at Jack’s Picnic Spot

Albany, or Striped, Sandveld Lizard at Jack’s Picnic Spot

Karoo Prinia at Jack’s Picnic Spot

The future is secure for Addo’s elephants

One of the elephants that Addo is famous for

In the afternoon, and after getting settled into our comfortable chalet, we have a little time to take a drive along a few loop roads close to camp before the gates close.

Family Chalet 16 at Addo Main Rest Camp

Cape Bulbul coming to welcome us at our cottage

Red-throated Wryneck

Juvenile Black-winged Stilt at Rooidam

An Eland, our biggest antelope

One of the elephants that Addo is famous for

Summertide Rambles 30 December 2020

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We spent a lot of time today at the various waterholes in the Addo Elephant National Park. Thanks to the summer heat they were all occupied by herds of elephants, whose antics are always fun to watch!

Summertide Rambles 29 December 2020

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During our drive through the Addo Elephant Park this morning we were fortunate to encounter this confrontation between an elephant bull and two spotted hyenas who were trying to hide the remains of their prey in a water trough.

Spotted Hyena and Buffalo prey

Time to fight about who gets the lion’s share

Elephant locked onto target!

Summertide Rambles 28 December 2020

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With it being a rather hot day in the Addo Elephant National Park today another of the Park’s star attractions – the Addo Flightless Dung Beetle – were out in their numbers gathering food for their progeny.