| Addo Elephant National Park | |
|---|---|
 Bull elephant at Addo | |
 Location of the park | |
| Location | Eastern Cape,South Africa |
| Nearest city | Gqeberha |
| Coordinates | 33°26′46″S25°44′45″E / 33.44611°S 25.74583°E /-33.44611; 25.74583 |
| Area | 1,640 km2 (630 sq mi)[1] |
| Established | 1931[1] |
| Governing body | South African National Parks |
| www | |
  Addo Elephant National Park (South Africa) | |
Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) is a diversewildlife conservation park situated close toGqeberha inSouth Africa and is one of thecountry's 20 national parks. It currently ranks third in size afterKruger National Park and theKgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
The foundations of the Park lay in the near-extermination of the local elephant population. Local fruit farmers had been sold their farms at greatly reduced rates and favourable terms because of the elephant presence. Nevertheless, these farmers complained to the authorities about damage to their crops, broken water pipelines and reservoirs, and even loss of lives.[2] From June 1919 to August 1920, theprofessional hunterMajor P. J. Pretorius was brought in to thin out the herd, and shot a figure of "120-odd" elephants, reducing the population from about 130 to 16 individuals.[3]
In 1925Deneys Reitz, in his capacity as Minister for Lands, stepped in to proclaim the area a sanctuary.[4] In the following years Reitz often stopped by to check in on the elephant population.[5]
Following the passing of the Natural Parks Act in 1926, the Addo forest was formally established as a national park in 1931, in part due to the efforts ofSydney Skaife .[1][6] The first Park manager, Stephen Harold Trollope (a formerKruger National Park ranger), chased elephants into the Park area using shotguns, firecrackers and fires. Only one bull remained outside the park and it was unfortunately shot by Trollope when it charged one of his men. This would have been the twelfth elephant in the park, leaving only 11.[7]
Over the years the rangers struggled with the elephants' determination to leave the farm to raid neighbouring farms, eventually constructing a barrier made of mineshaft lift cable, and tramlines donated by thePort Elizabeth City Council andCity of Johannesburg, which could withstand all but the biggest elephants.[8]
By 1954 there were 22 elephant in the park, and in 1957eland were introduced. In the 1990s,hippopotamus andrhino were introduced along withBurchell’s Zebra andwarthog. Finally in 2003, sixKalahari lions were introduced to the park as were the firsthyaenas.[9] Today there are over 600 elephants in the Park.[10]
The original park has subsequently been expanded to include theWoody Cape Nature Reserve that extends from theSundays River mouth towardsAlexandria and a marine reserve, which includesSt. Croix Island andBird Island, both breeding habitat forgannets andpenguins, as well as a large variety of othermarine life. Bird Island is home to the world's largest breeding colony ofgannets - about 120,000 birds - and also hosts the second largest breeding colony ofAfrican penguins, the largest breeding colony being St. Croix island. These marine assets form part of the plan to expand the 1,640 km2 (630 sq mi) Addo National Elephant Park into the 3,600 km2 (1,400 sq mi)Greater Addo Elephant National Park. The expanded park contains five of South Africa's seven major vegetation zones (biomes), and is also the only park to house Africa's "Big 7" (elephant,rhinoceros,lion,buffalo,leopard,whale andgreat white shark) in their naturalhabitat.[1]
The flora within the AENP is quite varied, and like all plant life, is a central factor to the ecological system in place. Several species of rare andendemic plants, particularly succulentshrubs andgeophytes are native to the South African region within the AENP. Many species are under environmental pressure, however, and are facing possible extinction.[11]
The park is home to more than 600 elephants, 400Cape buffaloes, over 48 endangeredsouth-western black rhinoceros'(Diceros bicornis occidentalis) as well as a variety ofantelope species.Lion andspotted hyena have also recently been re-introduced to the area. The largest remaining population of theflightless dung beetle (Circellium bacchus) is located within the park.
Two major environmental issues facing the AENP:extinction andoverpopulation, which are interrelated. Since the AENP's original mission was to reintroduce certainmegaherbivores, like theAfrican bush elephant andeastern black rhinoceros,[12] primary ecological efforts were made to preserve mammalian species. However, by overlooking the other contributors to this environmental chain, certain plant species have been subjected toovergrazing and trampling,[13] mostly by the elephants of the park. This overgrazing and trampling not only destroys much of the plant life, but also forces it to adapt its physiology to stimuli[14] that are not inherent to its evolutionary progress. Some biologists argue that it is not herbivorization[15] alone that is threatening the flora, but a number of other ecological factors includingzoochory andnutrient cycling. Up to 77 species of South African endemic plant species have been listed as "vulnerable to elephant browsing."
TheAddo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area[16][17] andBird Island Marine Protected Area are associated with the park.
In 2018 the highest visitor count in the park's 87-year history was recorded. The park received 305,510[18] visitors between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018 (up from 265,585 in the previous year).[19] International visitors make up 55% of this number, withGerman,Dutch andBritish nationals in the majority.[20]
There is a main camp, featuring a swimming pool, restaurant, flood lit water hole and various accommodation, four other rest camps and four camps run by concessionaires. The main entrance as well as two looped tourist roads in the park are tarred while the others are graveled. There is also an additional access road through the southern block of the park feeding off theN2 highway nearColchester; it joins up with the existing tourist roads in the park.[citation needed]
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![Male lion[21]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMale_lion_(Addo).JPG)
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