Addo National Elephant Park

Yesterday we all went to Addo, the third largest national park in South Africa.  Very near Port Elizabeth, it took us less than one hour to get there.  Addo has become very popular for European tourists, as it is malaria-free (while Kruger National Park is not).

Two elephant skulls and two numb-skulls

Addo is known for its elephants, and is a great story of animal renewal.   Because of ivory poaching and loss of habitat, the number of free-roaming African elephants in the region had by 1985 dwindled to eleven!   After setting aside a protected elephant section of the park, now there are nearly 500, making Addo one of the densest elephant populations in the world.  

Still, because it is a park and not a game preserve, they caution you that you may not see any when you visit.  But, we lucked out!  It was a hot day in Addo – in the high 90’s, and I think every elephant around decided to come to the water holes to cool off.  Jim estimates that we saw over 200 throughout the day.

My foot in the footprint of an elephant.

Elephants are the largest mammals on land.  The males can weigh 7.5 tons; the females 2-3 tons.

"Baby Elephant Walk"

Elephant herds are female-dominated.  The herds are usually comprised of females, babies, and sexually immature male elephants.  When the male elephant reaches sexual maturity, his mother has the job of chasing him away from the group.  It is nature's way of preventing inbreeding.  Our guide says that it is very sad to watch, as the young male often doesn't want to leave.   Elephants are very social animals, and enjoy physical contact.  But, if the mother is unsuccessful in chasing him away, the other females do so, only using harsher methods.

Elephants are very social animals!

This last picture is not of a malformed elephant with five legs.  Because it was so hot, this elephant was cooling off by extending his penis.  We learned that the elephant penis itself weighs 150 pounds.  I was naughty, and told our male students they should post a picture with the caption "Second largest penis in the world" - and just not mention that the whale has the first largest!

Anatomically correct young male

Addo is also one of the only places in the world with flightless dung beetles.  Their job is to break down the elephant poop; it is a natural "composter."  It is illegal in the park to drive over a dung beetle, or even drive over elephant poop as it might contain dung beetles.  I guess with all the elephants in the park, the rangers feel the dung beetles have a lot of work to do…