Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park

Tours and Safaris to the Addo National Park. Stay in the National Park Accommodation or at one of the Eastern Cape Private Game Reserves, join one of our Addo National Park Tours.

Addo Elephant National Park is located adjacent to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape and offers the big 7 in a malaria free area.

One of the world's most exciting conservation programs is happening quietly and with little fuss in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

The Addo Elephant National Park together with a number of private game reserves are recreating the vast area that was settled in the 1820's.

Shamwari "the worlds greatest conservation project". Scotia Safaris and Laibella Game Reserve to name a few are creating a huge wildlife area. Farms are being bought from willing sellers and returned to the wild.

Funding for this massive project comes from many sources including, The South African National Parks board. US Aid the European Union and many private investors.

Addo Elephant National Park will shortly be 1/4 of the size of Wales, lions have been re introduced to the area and there are now 2 groups that hunt and fend for themselves and it is hopped cubs will be born any moment in the wild at Addo for the first time since the 1845.

See our news page for the latest update of the happenings at Addo National Park.

Addo National Park beware of the buffalo.

Lions were reintroduced into the Addo National Park in October We are now eagerly expecting the first cubs to be born in Addo since 1845.

For the first time since 1849 lions now roam free there are six in total released in October, they have been separated in to two groups at different ends of the park. Spotted Hyenas required to dispose of the animal carcases have also been reintroduced.

The area is completely malaria free and no medication is required,

Addo Elephant National Park now includes a marine section we arrange boat trips to see whale and cage diving to see great white sharks to ensure you can see The Big 7.

Should you wish to self drive we can arrange car hire book accommodation and provide, maps advice and a mobile phone.

A short history of the Addo Elephant National Park

In the early 1800's the area was full of wildlife, thousands of elephants, buffalo, rhino, zebra, giraffe but they were slowly destroyed the last lion was shot in 1849 and the last rhino in 1853. The Addo bush was however very thick and the elephants took shelter in the area, they also took on nocturnal habits. In 1918 there were approximately 140 left and a hunter Major Phillips Jacobs Pretorius was appointed to rid the area of the nuisance. He was pretty successful and in 14 months, managed to kill 114 and capture 7 which were sold to the circus.

By the time The Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931 only 11 were left. It was not however until 1954 that a fence strong enough to contain the elephants was made, prior to this there had been many breakouts which created huge problems for the surrounding community. The fence which exists to this day was made from the tramlines removed from Port Elizabeth together with used steel wire from elevator shafts in the mines.

It was not until 1990 that the exciting transformation that is underway started, Adrian Gardi ner a man with a vision decided to purchase some farms and open a luxury Game Reserve, Shamwari which borders the Addo National Park. Nobody believed it would succeed but 14 years latter it is extremely successful, very expensive, always full and is officially "the worlds leading conservation program." and "Africa's leading Safari"

Following the release of Nelson Mandela the end of apartheid and the new Government in 1994 tourist began to flock to South Africa. This justified the funding of major projects to expand the park and to introduce back into the area the animals that were wiped out in the last century.

Lions were released into Addo National Park in Oct 2003 and we are anxiously waiting for the first lion cubs to be born in the Addo since 1845. An absence of 159 years.

For the latest news and history in the making visit our Addo News update.

Better still contact us to arrange a visit to the Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park