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Elephant at the Hapoor Dam in the Addo Elephant National Park photo by NJR ZA –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Addo Elephant Park

South Africa is an excellent travel destination, and its varied game reserves and vibrant natural landscapes make it a must-see for all tourists. Aside from the fantastic tourist attractions, some gorgeous national parks are the stuff of every animal lover’s dreams.

The renowned Addo Elephant National Park is the most majestic one of all 20 national parks to visit.

Addo Elephant National Park is a diverse wildlife conservation park situated close to Gqeberha in South Africa and is one of the country’s 20 national parks. The Addo Elephant National Park is located in the dense Eastern Cape Bush of South Africa.

It offers visitors spectacular elephant viewing in a malaria-free environment. Due to the size and ecological diversity in the park, there are many things to discover that the local guides are willing to share with guests, particularly on guided tours.

Here are the top 10 interesting facts about the park.

1. Addo Elephant National Park was founded in the year 1931

African elephant in Addo park (South Africa) photo by Dariusz Jemielniak (“Pundit”) –

Addo Elephant National Park was founded in the year 1931 and was built to protect the remaining 11 elephants in the area now this place holds over 600 elephants and is currently home to several other mammals.

The major seven vegetation zones are included in this magnificent park and this is the only park in the whole world to provide shelter to various animals.

2. It ranks third in size among South Africa’s National parks

Kruger National Park, Hazyview, South Africa photo by annakatecreates –

It currently ranks third in size among South Africa’s National parks. Addo Elephant National Park is located near the southern tip of central South Africa.

The park covers an area of 630 square miles (1,640 sq. km) making it the third-largest South African national park behind Kruger National Park and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

3. It is the Most Diverse Game Park

Addo Elephant National Park is said to be the most diverse game park on Earth. The area includes five biomes – Karoo, grassland, fynbos, thicket and forest.

However hellish the thickets might be for hunters, there’s an even bigger portion of the park that is a protector’s paradise. The entire country can be divided into just nine biomes (a unique ecological unit with a characteristic set of plant, animal species and climate) and Addo stretches over five of these biomes, namely the Thicket, Forest, Succulent Karoo, Fynbos and Nama Karoo, and each biome has its own sets of key species.

The big goal for the park is now to consolidate the land it has and create a functional ecological unit that stretches from the Karoo all across the mountains, fynbos, and forest into the thicket and down across the coastal dune system. This diversity is key to its success. There’s nothing that even comes close to its size.

4. Addo Elephant Park is home to Kalahari lions

Kalahari lion (Panthera leo) male cub 4 months with its mother photo by Charles J. Sharp –

The iconic black-maned lions of the Kalahari have introduced to Addo over ten years ago. The big reason for choosing these lions (as opposed to somewhere like Kruger) is because they are disease-free and will not affect the buffalo population, which might have otherwise caught tuberculosis.

The other reason is that these Kalahari lions are seen to be the closest match to the now-extinct Cape Lion which used to roam the Addo area.

5. The park is the Largest Breeding Colony of African Penguins

Three African penguins (Spheniscus demersus). photo by User:Salimfadhley –

Addo Elephant National Park’s St Croix Island protects the world’s largest breeding ground of the endangered African Penguins.

Despite having an elephant in the name, Addo Elephant National Park extends right down to the ocean and currently protects some very important islands in Algoa Bay, namely St Croix and Bird Island.

African Penguins are more threatened than rhino is at this stage. Because they’re not a key species or a high-profile one that people know about or care about penguins are on the sidelines.

Their numbers have dwindled alarmingly and every ten years or so, their numbers halve and if it goes on at that rate, in the next twenty or thirty years there won’t be penguins around. Addo is responsible for the protection of about 50 per cent of the total African Penguin population.

6. It’s home to the biggest dune fields in South Africa

A significant collection of tall and wide dunes known as the Alexandria Dune Field may be found in a less well-known section of Addo, where the park and the sea converge.

With a total area of 15 800 hectares and a maximum width of five kilometres from the sea, this dune sea, as it is sometimes known, is the largest and least deteriorated of its kind in the entire southern hemisphere.

The enormous dune field can be seen from a stunning vantage point on the beach after parking your car at Woody Cape Backpackers and taking a ten-minute stroll down the boardwalk. A two-day hike is another, a significantly superior method to experience the dunes. But it’s a difficult one.

7. Addo Elephant Park boasts of hosting Africa’s Big 7

Southern right whale breaching, South Africa photo by Olga Ernst –

It is a unique park because it can boast that it has Africa’s Big 7. Not only are there elephants but rhinos, lions, buffalo and leopards too. Furthermore, an offshore marine reserve has been added to it, making it the third largest national park in South Africa.

That means it has the southern right whale and the great white shark to add to the Big 5. It also includes two islands – St Croix Island and Bird Island – that have breeding colonies of penguins and gannets so you can add those to your safari bucket list too.

8. Trees in Addo are protected by bees

You can see little white bee boxes in a few of the park’s trees. Elephants stay away from these protected trees unless they are in a life or death situation and must eat the fruit.

Elephants typically avoid bees because of their sensitivity to the noise they make in their ears. The bees target the very top layer of skin because it is so thin.

Additionally, they sting them at the tip of the trunk, on the earlobes, and around the eyes. Funny enough, ellies also require shade from some of Addo’s peculiar trees. That is the major reason for stress in Addo.

9. Addo Elephant Park is an ideal spot for birdwatching 

All the photographers and bird enthusiasts will fall in love with this place as this is an ideal spot for watching the diverse birds living in this national park.

A great number of birds live and breed here some of which are – Fork-tailed Drongo, Cape Robin, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Martial Eagle, Cape Parrot, Hooded King Fisher and Cape Gannet.

The open grassy areas and coastal islands attract these birds who take shelter in this wonderful park.

10. The park is home to more than 600 elephants

African elephant in Addo park (South Africa) photo by Dariusz Jemielniak (“Pundit”) –

The park is home to more than 600 elephants, 400 Cape buffaloes, over 48 endangered black rhinos as well as a variety of antelope species.

The largest remaining population of the flightless dung beetle (Circellium Bacchus) is located within the park.