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Got an SMS from DB:

Another update from DB (last night )

Got this earlier today:

Report receivd just now:

Thanks so much Jaco for doing such a great job of posting sightings from our weekend trip to Addo. Not a great deal more to to add. This morning was overcast and raining (Addo needs rain) so I think the animals all went to church except for two naughty teenage ellies who kept us entertained at a waterhole!

Did not get to see the lion or any of the hyaena but did hear the hyaena wooping each night.

It was a wonderful weekend and I will post more on it and some pics tomorrow. Here two pics in the meantime.

We arrived at Addo at midday on Friday. The weather was great. Pitched camp on a front camping site with a super view out over the Park and saw some ellies passing. Soon after we set off on a drive through the game area. A tip for all of you visiting Addo; ask the guard at the gate to the game area where the animals are. Each time they sent us in the right direction.

There are many warthog in Addo – warthog are to Addo what impala are to KNP - so saw stacks of warthogs.

(And as you can see their mothers do love them and care for them )

Also had a few excellent black-backed jackal sightings with them lingering right next to the road. Only ever have seen them trotting off into the distance in the past.

(They are not good photo subjects as they do not stand still for a sec!)

The guard had suggested we try the Gwarrie Dam on Friday and we headed there and sure enough there were ellies there. On our way back to camp we stopped at Woodlands waterhole and watched a large herd of buffs drinking. Also saw a lot of ostrich and some red hartebeest and kudu. Did not see a great deal of antelope on this trip.

The night sounds are wonderful at Addo. Heard the hyena loud and clear most of Friday and Saturday nights as well as jackal calling on and off during the night.

Saturday was another super day weather wise and we added yellow mongoose, a few zebra and some eland to our sightings list as well as a black korhaan. Again the tip from the guard at the gate led us straight to the ellies and we were lucky to see two very large breeding herds enjoy themselves at the dams.

Sunday was overcast with rain and the guard at the gate told us the animals were hiding – and she was right. I asked her what the chances of seeing lion and black rhino were and she said the lion were far away, (although someone had seen a lioness earlier in the week at Harpoor waterhole), and that the rhino were hiding!

I will post some more pics of the camp and Park under the Frontier Parks thread this evening.

You are right Bert - very peaceful there even with the noise from the trains from time to time as the railway runs right next to the Park and the airplanes fly overhead to PE. I don't think anyone should go there and feel they will see a lot. I have been there before and not seen a great deal of animals. But one still has the atmosphere of a SANParks park and lots of bird life. The old YR just keeps doing it for me

Here are some pics from our weekend trip to Addo.

We arrived on Friday at lunch time and were met by very friendly staff. We pitched camp straight away choosing a tent site with a view out over the Park. The tent sites are fairly small (or our tent is too big) and it was a bit of a squash to fit the tent and m/bus on the site. The ground is also rather hard. The camping sites are all covered with gravel which is much nicer that the red dust of the past - just one draw back; one can hear every footstep ones fellow campers make in the dead of night.





The view from the Safari Tents (risked life and limb to get this one ) which are next to the camping area:

I have seen one of the Addo lions at this water hole. (On a previous trip.) This is the water hole just in front of the camp. There always seems to be some life around it. It is very well lit at night.


The day visitors area at Addo - also with a view of the water hole.

One may alight from one's car at Domkrag Dam. The parking area is well above the dam so take a pair of binocs with to enjoy the waterbirds in the dam. We always enjoy our early morning coffee there.



Gwarrie Dam - where all the action was this past weekend

Is this the one about the tortoise? Can't recall the exact story. Do you know it Oumie?

Read it at the info board. Remember reading something that the tortoise used to crawl under cars and lift it up on one side People used to get a fright from this

Never saw a single monkey over the weekend

Where did you see the rhino TE?

I have a lot more pics of the tents Bert. If you'd like me to email them to you just pm me and I will.