Once dominating much of South Africa's landscape, elephants from the country's Eastern Cape population have been severely hunted for their ivory. Home to the last remaining members of the region, the Addo Elephant National Park provides travelers with the chance to visit the members of a once-epic animal tribe.
With only 16 elephants remaining in 1931, the Eastern Cape population's numbers are more than 550 strong today. The park's wildlife now includes a dizzying array of different species, as well. Because this area of the country supports a variety of shorter shrubs, visitors are nearly guaranteed several chances to see lions or leopards as they relax in the mid-morning sun, see packs of buffalo grazing, or watch as rhinos trot along the dusty terrain.
Travelers with patience will rejoice at Addo's diverse tortoise population, which includes such unique varieties as the parrot-beaked tortoise and the leopard tortoise.
Although the plant life may be short in stature, the park's habitats support more than 500 species of flora as well. Botany enthusiasts will find the greatest plant diversity on the Speckboom trail, which is kept off-limits from the park's wildlife.
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