South Africa's first complete dinosaur fossil was excavated in the area and dinosaur discoveries take place from time to time.
Fossilised bones and primitive stone artifacts attest to the area having been inhabited more than half a million years ago. An increasing variety of remains such as middens, burials, preserved seeds and the like suggest a continuous human presence.
In less distant times, mummified bodies and skeletons of San ("Bushmen") people, who were hunter-gatherers, as well as tools, pottery and rock painting have been found, especially in caves in the mountains. The age of some of these, places the San in the region at least 5 000 years BCE.

In 1814 a number of farms were allocated to Afrikaner and British settlers in the lower Sundays River valley

As farming activities in the lower Sundays River intensified, the Addo farmers came into conflict with the local elephants which were very destructive of their crops. Eventually, a professional hunter was engaged to exterminate them. In 1931 there were only eleven elephants remaining when, fortunately, the government stepped in and created a sanctuary.

To-day, this park now known as the Addo Elephant National Park, has grown to some 125 000 hectares and is well on the way to becoming much larger still - about 400 000 hectares. The elephant herd now numbers over 400, a tribute to the long-term efforts of conservation. Botanically, Addo contains five of the country's seven biomes.

Addo telephone code - 042 South Africa code +27
Internet cafe -
Nearest Airport -
Road to Addo -
Other useful Information

Elephant at Addo Reserve