Addo Elephant National Park

Addo Elephant National Park is a national park in South Africa's Eastern province. It covers a total area of 540 square kilometers and is divided into two portions by a corridor. The southern half of the park, known as Addo Elephant National Park, was established in 1931 in the Sundays River valley, south of the Suurberg Range, north of Port Elizabeth. It is mostly covered in dense, impenetrable evergreen scrub and is home to a band of approximately 200 elephants, the last of a vast herd that roamed the area before landowners began an extermination effort in 1919. It also supports a small population of Cape buffalo, various kinds of transplanted antelope, Kenyan black rhinoceroses, and a variety of small birds, animals, and reptiles. History of Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa. The Khoesan of the Iqua, Damasqua, and Gonaqua clans resided in the Addo region in the early centuries, when large herds of wild animals roamed the area. They hunted and raised cattle, but the smallpox outbreak nearly wiped them out in the 1700s. In 1931, the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) was established to safeguard the last 11 Addo elephants. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, hunters had nearly wiped off elephant herds and other animal species. Farmers began to colonize the land around the park in the late 1800s, putting pressure on the elephant population due to competition for water and crops. Farmers demanded that the authorities destroy the elephants in 1919, bringing the situation to a head. Major Pretorius, who killed 114 elephants between 1919 and 1920, was assigned by the government to shoot the remaining elephants. After a shift in public attitude, the park was established in 1931. The park was originally little over 2 000 hectares in size. Elephant-farmer conflicts persisted after the declaration because the park lacked a sufficient fence. Finally, in 1954, the park's manager, Graham Armstrong, devised an elephant-proof barrier using tram rails and lift cables, enclosing a total area of 2 270 hectares. At the time, there were 22 elephants in the park. This Armstrong fence, named after the park's developer, is still in use today. Although the park was established to safeguard a particular species, emphasis have since shifted to protect the area's tremendous ecological variety. Many ancient sites may be found in the Alexandria dune field, including the middens of the nomadic 'Strandloper' or 'beach walker' people. Shells and bones of animals eaten by the people, as well as shards of pottery and stone utensils, can be found in these middens. White mussel shells found in these middens are also found in caves in the Zuurberg Mountains, indicating that these people travelled long distances and stored their food. Rock art and stone utensils can also be found in the Zuurberg Mountains' caves.