EARTH BOUND MYSTERIES
land restoration in the great karoo
The longer Grant and I spend in the bush, the more apparent it is that when it comes to understanding the natural world, humans are only scratching the surface, particularly in Africa. Whenever we have met wildlife and ecology researchers, I’ve not only been blown away by their commitment to unraveling the mysteries of their subjects (we don’t nearly appreciate the extremes researchers survive in for the data) but also by the notion that these mysteries still exist at all in today’s saturation of readily available knowledge.
When I was little, we had a heavy set of Encyclopedia Britannicas that my parents encouraged us to use. I believed, all the way up until recently that humans pretty much knew it all, barring the vastness of the universe and the unanswered questions that it poses, and sure, molecular mysteries that have relied on the tech being improved in the last few decades. I’ve read compelling articles about the construction of the pyramids and other subjects that suggest that our colossal-sized brains have always been churning away at near-full capacity throughout history. Our hunter gather ancestors possessed and cultivated swathes of information about where and when to do certain activities, navigating by the stars, knowing which plants were deadly and much much more. Without Siri, I’d literally be lost.
My childhood encyclopedias were packed with all the information nine-year-old me could possibly need, and then, as an adult, I rarely ponder anything without Googling for answers. On a day-to-day level, I ask Google a multitude of things, from what makes salt flats pink (algae -I’ll save you the trouble), to why some bovine females have horns when other species don’t. It’s not that I’m addicted, but I’m a well-trained grownup who simply can’t not look things up. And for the most part, I’m aware of my curious inner child and try not to lose her.
I am often perplexed when people wonder aloud and then drift off into thought, allowing that question to remain unsolved. How do people do that, and why do I kinda sorta wish that I too was capable of making peace with the unknown like they seem to be able to? And just so we can complete this train of thought, I have googled ‘Why do I google everything?’ only to be answered with ‘[it} maybe a combination of three factors 1) you have an enquiring mind 2) it’s easy and fast to obtain answers and 3) you have too much time on your hands and maybe you should get out a bit more.’ Right.
That really is the prefix for all the information I’m going to share about a topic that at first glance appears relatively insignificant, and maybe even a little bit obvious. Yet, small though it may seem, it could have an enormous impact, and might even save the world. With the help of some experts in the field and of course, a little Googling, I’m sharing my layman’s version of ‘Understanding the Importance of Ponding in the Great Karoo.’
LULA IN ADDO ELEPHANT PARK
805 km from cape town, za.
33.3085° s, 25.5427° e
When Lula finally gave up on us, I bawled like a baby. Her mystery symptoms had all the Land Rover specialists scratching their heads, and even now, as I write this, weeks later, she remains unfixed. For three amazing years, she trundled up mountains, saved us from many tight spots, carried our family 100,000km around South Africa safely, and allowed us to dream, explore, and create memories in distant lands. It has been such an adventure and even though she’s *just* a car… she’ll always be such a huge part of my heart. Having such a tough vehicle made me feel tough too, and if we hadn’t had her, I’m not sure I would have survived without Superbalist orders and fortnightly manicures. She really allowed me to get to find what really sets my heart on fire.
What has this got to do with Addo Elephant Park? Well, we decided that despite loving our Defender, it was time to get something a little different. I can already feel the despair of our readers… I’m sorry! We are now… Discovery 4 owners! This is going to take some getting used to. Ugh. Dual climate control. A mini fridge. Electric windows all the way around. A sound system we can actually hear when driving. A back door that opens. It doesn’t cost a gazillion rand to drive places. And it’s automatic. But I dunno. It feels suspicious.
So, on the way back from another Cape Town trip, we decided it was high time we paid our local National Park a visit to see if sitting inside a Discovery or a Defender has any impact on the experience, or whether, perhaps, the magic is out there after all. As usual, when traveling impromptu, we weren’t exactly prepared, but our tent, stretchers, and vellies were packed in the back of the car, so… off we went.
Addo Elephant Park has an incredible history. In the 1740s, the Boer arrived in the area seeking ivory and trading opportunities, and by the early 1900s, hunters had almost completely decimated the elephant population. In 1919, Major PJ Pretorious ordered that the remaining elephants in the area be exterminated! He saw that 114 of them were shot in just over a year, and by 1931, shockingly, only 11 elephants were left.
A National Park was proclaimed to protect the remaining ellies, but the enclosure area wasn’t secure enough, and one by one, the ellies escaped. Finally, in 1954, an elephant-proof fence was erected.
Over the years, the park has grown to the third largest reserve in South Africa after the Kruger and the Kgalagadi, covering an area of 1640 square kilometers. It is now home to over 600 elephants and countless other animals, including buffalo, lion, leopard, rhino, and more. The park contains five of South Africa’s seven major biomes, and is the only park in the world to house Africa’s ‘Big 7’ – with the whale and the great white shark, all in their natural habitat.
two nights at addo main camp
We only had two evenings to spend in the reserve before heading back home, so we decided to take advantage of a sale on the SanParks website and spent R280.00 a night for our camp site. We normally have a Wildcard, but it had expired. Instead of buying a new one, since we were only there for two nights, we paid R180.00 for our conservation fees for two people per day too. We are always happy to pay a conservation fee because we know just how much goes into protecting vulnerable and endangered species and the habitat they live in.
The Addo Main Camp has everything you could need with a petrol station, a pool, a SanParks shop (there are Spar stores just outside of the gates too) and a Cattle Baron if you don’t fancy braaiing. The camp sites themselves are quite small. Next time, we would probably spend a few rand extra and take a caravan site instead, even with our tent, just so we didn’t feel like we were sleeping a stones throw away from our neighbours.
Although we didn’t stay in Addo’s chalets or tented camps, we did take a little drive around and from the outside, the accommodation appears much like it does at other SanParks reserves.
ellies, ellies, ellies
It was Grant’s first trip to Addo and I’d told him about my forty-deep elephant herd encounter from a visit many years ago. Even so, I wasn’t entirely convinced we’d see elephants, but they were everywhere! With only a day and a smidge in the reserve, we started at Hapoor watering hole and sat patiently waiting for the herds to arrive. And they did! Herd after herd! We think we probably watched around 250 gentle giants run joyfully to greet other elephants, mud bathe, and drink together. It was a party.
The babies played and splashed, and the bulls jostled. At one stage, two mammoth-sized boys used our car as the piggy in the middle, and being quite used to elephants, Grant and I only realised how precarious the situation must have looked when we noticed onlookers in their cars with wide open mouths. We were too busy trying to take it all in. Elephants everywhere!
By 8.30 am, we’d taken thousands of pictures and the ellies departed. We took a slow drive down to the coastal gate and admired the endless plains of flowers where zebra, red hartebeest, and buffalo grazed. And then at sunset, we watched not-so-brave hyenas and jackals try to get a spot at the watering holes too.
addo main camp
We only had two evenings to spend in the reserve before heading back home, so we decided to take advantage of a sale on the SanParks website and spent R280.00 a night for our camp site. We normally have a Wildcard, but it had expired. Instead of buying a new one, since we were only there for two nights, we paid R180.00 for our conservation fees for two people per day too. We are always happy to pay a conservation fee because we know just how much goes into protecting vulnerable and endangered species and the habitat they live in.
The Addo Main Camp has everything you could need with a petrol station, a pool, a SanParks shop (there are Spar stores just outside of the gates too) and a Cattle Baron if you don’t fancy braaiing. The camp sites themselves are quite small. Next time, we would probably spend a few rand extra and take a caravan site instead, even with our tent, just so we didn’t feel like we were sleeping a stones throw away from our neighbours.
Although we didn’t stay in Addo’s chalets or tented camps, we did take a little drive around and from the outside, the accommodation appears much like it does at other SanParks reserves.
ellies, ellies, ellies
It was Grant’s first trip to Addo and I’d told him about my forty-deep elephant herd encounter from a visit many years ago. Even so, I was entirely convinced we’d see elephants, but they were everywhere! With only a day and a smidge in the reserve, we started at Hapoor watering hole and sat patiently waiting for the herds to arrive. And they did! Herd after herd! We think we probably watched around 250 gentle giants run joyfully to greet other elephants, mud bathe, and drink together. It was a party.
The babies played and splashed, and the bulls jostled. At one stage, two mammoth-sized boys used our car as the piggy in the middle, and being quite used to elephants, Grant and I only realised how precarious the situation must have looked when we noticed onlookers in their cars with wide open mouths. We were too busy trying to take it all in. Elephants everywhere!
By 8.30 am, we’d taken thousands of pictures and the ellies departed. We took a slow drive down to the coastal gate and admired the endless plains of flowers where zebra, red hartebeest, and buffalo grazed. And then at sunset, we watched not-so-brave hyenas and jackals try to get a spot at the watering holes too.
what we learned
- The magic really is out there. Although I may still need a little while to stop being a huge baby about Lula, the Discovery was a very comfortable way to spend a few hours at Addo. As it turns out, a car is a car. Maybe. Yes.
- Addo’s rolling hills are very picturesque. I hadn’t really remembered that from my last trip, but the landscapes offered a spectacular backdrop to our elephant models. As photographers, we loved it!
- The wildlife is rather habituated and used to being admired by visitors, which means that not only did we have elephants streaming around our car, but also other animals too, including the very shy kudu, and what seemed to be tens of nonchalant warthogs grazing amongst the daisies.
- Watch your snacks. The monkeys are cheeky.
- If you’re lucky, like we were, you’ll fall blissfully asleep to the rumbles of ellies at the watering holes close to the camp fence.
- It’s a great park to visit if you don’t have a lot of time, because the sightings are abundant. At least, that’s what we experienced. Although we didn’t see any lions (said to be found near the south of the park), we couldn’t have been happier with what we did see.
elephant facts
- There are only 415,000 elephants left in the world. They’re currently listed as endangered, making
Addo a much needed haven for these beautiful creatures. - A elephant trunk is packed with over 50,000 muscles and is incredibly powerful and dexterous. Elephants use it to smell, eat, breathe underwater, trumpet, clean themselves, and defend themselves. An elephant trunk is extremely sensitive to smells and helps them differentiate between a variety of plants and choose their favourites. They also use their trunks to hug, comfort and caress their family members.
- Elephants have an incredible ability to recall routes to distant watering holes and sources of food. They also remember other ellies, and even humans; a super power that is passed from generation to generation through the Matriarchs to ensure their survival.
- Elephants are very social and intelligent, displaying behaviors we humans recognise as compassion, kindness and even altruism. Elephants also display empathy, coordinating with each other to help sick or injured individuals, and even other species of animals. When feeling distressed, elephants respond with calls and touches to reassure and console each other.
what we learned
- The magic really is out there. Although I may still need a little while to stop being a huge baby about Lula, the Discovery was a very comfortable way to spend a few hours at Addo. As it turns out, a car is a car. Maybe. Yes.
- Addo’s rolling hills are very picturesque. I hadn’t really remembered that from my last trip, but the landscapes offered a spectacular backdrop to our elephant models. As photographers, we loved it!
- The wildlife is rather habituated and used to being admired by visitors, which means that not only did we have elephants streaming around our car, but also other animals too, including the very shy kudu, and what seemed to be tens of nonchalant warthogs grazing amongst the daisies.
- Watch your snacks. The monkeys are cheeky.
- If you’re lucky, like we were, you’ll fall blissfully asleep to the rumbles of ellies at the watering holes close to the camp fence.
- It’s a great park to visit if you don’t have a lot of time, because the sightings are abundant. At least, that’s what we experienced. Although we didn’t see any lions (said to be found near the south of the park), we couldn’t have been happier with what we did see.
-
elephant facts
- There are only 415,000 elephants left in the world. They’re currently listed as endangered, making
Addo a much needed haven for these beautiful creatures. - A elephant trunk is packed with over 50,000 muscles and is incredibly powerful and dexterous. Elephants use it to smell, eat, breathe underwater, trumpet, clean themselves, and defend themselves. An elephant trunk is extremely sensitive to smells and helps them differentiate between a variety of plants and choose their favourites. They also use their trunks to hug, comfort and caress their family members.
- Elephants have an incredible ability to recall routes to distant watering holes and sources of food. They also remember other ellies, and even humans; a super power that is passed from generation to generation through the Matriarchs to ensure their survival.
- Elephants are very social and intelligent, displaying behaviors we humans recognise as compassion, kindness and even altruism. Elephants also display empathy, coordinating with each other to help sick or injured individuals, and even other species of animals. When feeling distressed, elephants respond with calls and touches to reassure and console each other.
