Of course you want to see elephants when you visit the Addo Elephant National Park, but do not expect to find them all over. As large as they are, a whole herd of them can ‘disappear’ in the bush so that you cannot see them, even though they may not be far off the road. Looking hopefully at broken off bits of vegetation on a no entry road is no help. No entry means just that.
Natural signs such as this on the road indicate that elephants have at least passed through the area. They often drop leaves or twigs whilst walking.
The signs on this road look promising: twigs and dung.
Ah! We are getting closer … scan the surrounding bush, but there is still no sight of an elephant.
They must be nearby!
Follow the signs and you may get lucky – these elephants were drinking at Rooidam.
Something Over Tea 
Interesting tracking 🙂
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A little bit of fun.
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En as jy hulle vind! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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Ek is baie lief vir olifante.
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Ek ook!
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Ek dink ek moet by jou ‘n paar tips kry en
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..en dan daarna toe gaan. Was nog nooit daar. Love olifante, sal heeldag kan sit en kyk
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Ons kan vir ure sit en kyk na die olifante daar – hulle is baie interessante diere.
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Such a splendid sight in the end!
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I did lead you on a bit – will show more elephants later.
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Sweet reward. Patience paid off.
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It is amazing how often one cannot find elephants in the park. On this last visit they were all over the place, which made for some really interesting sightings.
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That was much more satisfying than a Wild Goose Chase!
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I am pleased you found it so.
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Things worked out nicely. So many at once 😊.
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We were spoiled with the number of elephants we saw during a day’s drive through the park.
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Seeing their tracks and signs in the road always get’s the attention to peak in our vehicle too! Stopping to check which way the toes of the tracks are pointing, does it look like there’s a big bull with them, stopping to listen for tummy rumbles (because, as you say, that Spekboom thicket can swallow a whole herd in a second!), maneuvering past roadblocks and over landmines (careful not to squash the beetles!) and suddenly there they are!
Ah, Anne, your lovely photos will have me daydreaming about our trip to Addo in December (hopefully) all day. Thank you so much!
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After SO long, it was like stepping into a new world. December is a good time to spend in Addo – in fact any time is a good time there!
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Wonderful post.
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Thank you for stopping by, Walter. I am pleased that you enjoyed it.
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So true your observations about looking for small signs to reveal that such big creatures may be around …
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It is sometimes worth looking for ‘small signs’ rather than rushing off to find the obvious. We have chanced upon several interesting sightings in this way.
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Ha ha – oh yes, I know that ”where are the elephants in Addo” feeling. I’ve been involved in tourism in the Eastern Cape for years, and I have sent 100s of people to look at elephants in Addo – because, well, there are lots of elephants in Addo, you can’t not see elephants in Addo. On a drive with my son a few years back, we experienced a crazy no elephant day. It was as if they’d all gone to some sort of elephant conference, far from the roads. On our way out, we at last saw a big old fellow about 50m from the gate.
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You describe a familiar experience.
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