The Addo Elephant National Park Is Really Amazing... Read This Story!

The Addo Adventure... Absolutely Fantastic

The Addo Elephant National Park is a very unique South African game reserve. Despite being a relatively small wilderness area so many fascinating organisms occupy this seemingly vast animal rich area. From the huge quantity of African Elephant to its much smaller companion; the Flightless Dung Beetle, there is so much to see in this wonderful Eastern Cape conservation area. Anyway let me move onto this day's story:

It was April 2007, shortly after Easter and I could not wait to drive in through the main Addo gate. But before I could do this I had to pay the conservation fee and after that I decided to take a trip to the rest camp's water hole Nyathi...

There was an old Black Backed Jackal having a mid morning drink, this wild canine then moved with no urgency over the hill into the dense Addo bush. It was then I saw a fairly large Leopard Tortoise munching away on some new shoots of green grass next to the water hole. This reptile was not going anywhere in a hurry so I decided to drive into the main game viewing area. Common Warthog, Redfaced Mousebird and Flightless Dung Beetles abounded amongst the Spekboom and Plumbego capensis veld. A brief stop at Domkrag Dam yielded sightings of Burchell's Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Marsh Terrapin and South African Shelduck. Then it was off to the Gorah Loop which is a great drive to see various large animals and the smaller creatures. Common Ostrich, Greater Kudu, African Elephant, Common Eland, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk and a lonely looking, loudly calling Secretary Bird were all encountered on this route. Then it was back to the camp to have some Addo cuisine! I could not believe my eyes, on the way back to the rest camp, when I came across a Caracal! This beautiful looking feline had caught a Scrub Hare a little earlier and was still carrying the hare in it's mouth. It made my day, even if I only watched this Desert Lynx for a minute or so... Then as quickly as it appeared it disappeared into the dense Addo scrub, it's amazing how a brick red coloured cat disappears into green bush.

After a late lunch I set off towards the Mathyolweni gate and on the way there more amazing sightings would occur. As the Southern Boubou's, Emerald Spotted Wood Doves and the occasional flock of Red Necked Francolin's foraged along the side of the road another Caracal made an appearance! This wild cat was more skittish and did not like the sight of the vehicle I was in. The Caracal had a quick look up and then it vanished, like it's cousin earlier, no sign of this beautiful cat remained. It was just a matter of right place and right time.

I could see the exit gate in the distance and an African Hoopoe flew across the tarred road. After the exit gate I looked out the window where a tiny Cape Batis seemed to be saying goodbye and as the sun set on the way home, I couldn't but help to think to myself "What were those Caracal's doing tonight?"

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