Page 256 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

254  THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN C APE

w Addo Elephant
National Park
Road map D5. 72 km (45 miles) NE of
Port Elizabeth. Tel 042 233 8600.
Reservations: 012 428 9111.
Open 7am–7pm daily. & 8 0 =
∑ sanparks.org
In the past, elephants lived
throughout the Cape Colony,
but as the land was settled they
were hunted to extinction. In
1919 Major Philip Pretorius was
appointed to exterminate the
last survivors and he shot 120
over 11 months. Only 15 terrified A herd of elephants at a waterhole in Addo Elephant National Park
elephants sur vived in the
densest thickets. Today, there are more than them. Apart from self-drive,
When public opinion turned 450 elephants. The park, which guided game drives can be
in the elephants’ favour, a includes the Zuurberg booked at reception. On night
68-sq-km (26-sq-mile) tract of mountains to the north and a drives, unusual species such as
surplus land was declared belt of coastal dunes to the porcupine, spring hare and
national park territory in 1931. south, covers 2,920 sq km genet may be spotted.
However, the animals raided (1,127 sq miles) and is the third-
nearby farms at night and a largest in the country.
suitable fence was needed to Addo’s rest camp has a shop, e Shamwari Game
prevent escapes. restaurant, pool, caravan park Reserve
After numerous experiments, and 61 chalets. A network of
warden Graham Armstrong game-viewing roads allows Road map D5. 72 km (44 miles) N of
constructed a guard from rail way visitors to explore the southern Port Elizabeth. Tel 042 203 1111.
tracks and elevator cables. By region of the park, which is the Open to guests staying at the lodges
1954, some 23 sq km (9 sq miles) only area in the world to house only. ∑ shamwari.com
had been fenced in this way, and the Big Seven: elephant, leopard, At 200 sq km (77 sq miles),
the elephants were black rhino, Cape Shamwari is the largest private
safely contained. buffalo, lion and, in reserve in the Eastern Cape.
For many years, Addo the marine section, Day visitors are not permitted,
resembled a large zoo. great white shark and but there are seven luxury lodges
Oranges were placed southern right whale. in the reserve. Overnight pack-
below the rest camps at Other animals ages include all meals and game
night to lure the shy inhabiting the dense activities. The reserve consists of
beasts, while the stout Dung beetles thicket include kudu, undulating bushveld country
fences separated are protected in eland, hartebeest and in the catchment area of the
visitors and animals. The Addo bushbuck. However, Bushmans River. The recipient
herd responded well to visitors tend to overlook of several international awards,
protection – increasing to one of the park’s smallest and Shamwari is the brain child of
265 by 1998 – making it most fascinating creatures: the entrepreneur Adrian Gardiner,
necessary to enlarge flight less dung beetle. Signs who originally bought the ranch
their territory. warn motorists not to drive over in the hills near Paterson as a
retreat for his family. Over the
years, several neighbouring
farms were incorporated and
wildlife reintroduced. The reserve
is now home to the Big Five
(see pp76–7), as well as zebras,
giraffes and antelope species
including eland, kudu, impala,
gemsbok, hartebeest, spring bok
and black wildebeest.
Shamwari was the first private
reserve in the Eastern Cape to
reintroduce large mammals to
an area where they had become
extinct, but there are now more
A rustic chalet in Addo Elephant National Park than 20 private Big Five reserves
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp387–8 and pp404–5

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