South African National Parks (SANParks) announced some days ago that the Zuurberg horse trails in the Zuurberg Mountain section of Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa's Eastern Cape are closed until further notice. The Nyathi horse trails ("Addo Horse Trails"), which depart from Addo Main Camp and take place in the Nyathi area of the National Park, remain open and are commencing as normal.
South Africa's third largest National Park, the Addo Elephant National Park, is located about 80 km from Port Elizabeth in the country's Eastern Cape. The National Park is home not just to the famous BIG FIVE, but to the BIG SEVEN - elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion, leopard, great white shark and southern right whale.
South African National Parks (SANParks) has extended one of its two Zuurberg Hiking Trails, the 3-hour (8km) Doringnek Hiking Trail, in the Zuurberg section in Addo Elephant National Park. The circular hiking trail now has a length of 12 km or 5 hours. The Doringnek Hiking Trail departs from the Zuurberg permit office; it includes a picnic spot along the way and passes "Otto's pool" – in which hikers may choose to cool off on hot days. Drinking water, a sunhat and sunblock are essential, especially during summer. Animals to look out for along the route include mountain reedbuck, red hartebeest, bushbuck and other small buck species, monkeys, baboons and dassies. Bird life is also prolific in the Zuurberg mountains.
