Meet the Big Seven - Addo Tourism (2024)

Leopard

The elusive leopard, night-time predator and the second largest of Africa’s big cats. Many wildlife-lovers have waited years to spot this evasive beauty. Leopards are strong, agile and adaptable, ranging from coastal areas to elevations of 2000m above sea level. They’re able to adapt to a variety of climates, including forest, desert, mountains and more. They are still found wild among mountains and thick bush throughout South Africa. Leopards can be identified by spots arranged in rosettes, contrasted on a light golden body, with single spots on the limbs and head. They generally feed on small to medium antelope and are agile climbers, known to drag a carcass – sometimes heavier than their own weight – up into the fork of a large tree if there is competition from other predators. As nocturnal hunters, leopards aren’t often spotted during the daylight hours. However, they make for very exciting night-drive safari sightings and cause quite a stir when spotted during the day.

Lion

As the largest African carnivore and big cat, the lion is the undisputed king of the bush. As relatively social animals, lions are the only cats to regularly hunt in groups and to live in close-knit coalitions known as prides. Male lions, with their magnificent manes, are often photographed reclining in the veld and, due to their size, don’t usually take part in the hunt. Female lions (lionesses) stalk their prey. As one lioness charges, the others close flanks, with the males only participating if the prey is particularly large. Lions are most active at night to avoid the heat of the day and, while they may seem lethargic during the daytime, they can quickly become aggressive if disturbed. Females are the centre of the pride and pride males are often changed every few years. Due to the need for genetic diversity, South African National Parks swaps males with those from other parks. The last original Addo lion was hunted in 1879, and lions were reintroduced to the area in 2003 via the Addo Elephant National Park – the first truly wild lions to live in the region in over a century. The park is now home to 17 lions with others in private game reserves in the area.

Buffalo

When the Addo Elephant National Park was established in 1931, there were only 30 buffalo left from the once-sweeping herds. These enormous herbivores graze in large herds to protect against predators, and can be very unpredictable when threatened. The herds of Addo are said to be the only truly disease-free buffalo in South Africa and are highly sought-after by private game reserves. The sale of these healthy buffalo has enabled South African National Parks to purchase large tracts of land in the Eastern Cape to further extend the national park for conservation. As buffalo thrive on plentiful water, grass and shade, and mud-wallowing for temperature regulation, they’re a watering hole favourite for our visitors. A buffalo will show aggression by holding its head high, with nose pointing to the ground and submission by holding the head low and putting the nose under the neck or belly of an opponent buffalo. On safari, to see a lion and a buffalo go head-to-head is to witness one of the most epic battles on earth.

Great white shark

Famous for its teeth and that enormous gliding fin, the great white shark was once known by fishermen as a ‘lazy grey’ because of the way it silently meandered through the water, until of course, it was ready to hunt. Far from its fearsome portrayal in many Hollywood movies, the great white shark has been hunted to near extinction. Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on earth, with grey upper bodies and a white underbelly, they’re found in cool coastal water across the world and, along the South African coastline, are known to breach clear of the water when hunting prey on the surface. And their hunting skills are no joke, with 300 serrated triangular teeth in several rows, the great white shark can smell a drop of blood in 100 litres of water and can sense the electromagnetic fields in the water, generated by other animals. Their prey includes seals, small, toothed whales like orcas, other sharks, sea birds, crustaceans and molluscs. There is no reliable population data for great white sharks, as very little is known about their movements and breeding grounds. In typical born-free style, no great white shark has ever survived for long in captivity.

Rhino

The majestic rhinoceros is the second largest land mammal on the earth: largely solitary however, due to poaching, it is also highly protected and critically endangered. Rhinos are poached for their horns, which are highly prized in Asian medicine, despite being composed of nothing more than keratin. Rhinos are a wonder to behold and, while generally quite happy grazing, they can move quickly and unexpectedly into a charge. A sight not soon forgotten! The rhino is known for poor eyesight and a heightened sense of smell and hearing to account for this and, due to their endangered status and their distinctive horn, they are known as the unicorn of the modern age. In order to protect the rhinos of Addo, the national park and surrounding private reserves are quite tight-lipped about the rhino population. South Africans are very passionate about conserving wildlife and the rhino in particular as the species teeters on the edge of extinction. A horned animal that will, if senseless poaching continues, become just a legend to future generations.

Elephant

Addo is a region reborn through conservation and with no species is this truer than our beloved Addo elephants, for which the park is named. There were just 11 indigenous elephants on 2000 hectares when the national park was formed in 1931. Today, over 600 elephants roam an area of 164 000 hectares. African elephants, the largest land mammals on earth, have a very interesting social hierarchy; led by the head female of the herd: the matriarch. When young males (bulls) reach maturity, they will leave the herd or be chased away by the older cows and these bulls will form loose associations. This is to ensure genetic diversity, while the young cows will stay with the herd for life. The national park is working to bring males in from other parks across South Africa to further encourage this diversity. Elephants are herbivores and, while they have no natural enemies, young elephants (calves) are vulnerable to predators and are kept in the centre of the herd for protection. These magnificent giants play an important role in our ecosystem, as they eat 200-300kg of plant material every day, by opening dense bush which enables smaller browsers to feed. Addo’s elephant ingest over 70 plant species with eco superplant, spekboom a dominant feature.

Southern right whale

Graceful, benevolent, joyful, majestic – these are some of the words used to describe a southern right whale encountered on or below the ocean surface. Southern right whales are identifiable by their large heads, which measure one third of their total body length and their distinctive “V-shaped” blow. They are a type of baleen whale as they use these bristles (baleen) to filter tiny zooplankton from the water. However, due to their baleen and large amount of blubber, whale hunting had brought this intelligent marine mammal close to extinction by the 19th century. The southern right whale was known as the “right” whale to hunt due to a large harvest of blubber which enabled them to float when dead therefore easy to find. Since 1949, the southern right whale has received international protection from hunting and the population is slowly recovering. Slowly, as females will only give birth to a single calf after a year-long gestation. These aquatic beauties are active on the ocean surface and curious towards vessels; they’re known to spyhop, lobtail, flipper slap, breach, sail and body roll to enjoyment of watching marine enthusiasts.

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