Watch the fascinating social behaviour of elephants at Hapoor Dam

Hapoor Dam is the most famous waterhole in Addo Elephant National Park. Here you can watch how elephants pass on their knowledge of waterholes across generations. All the elephants in the park know this place and visit it regularly, because the best feeding grounds and water sources are passed on from the leaders to their young.

At Hapoor Dam you can experience the fascinating social behaviour of these giants at close quarters. Higher-ranking animals drink first at the fresh water inlets, while lower-ranking elephants wait patiently for their turn. The elephants often walk right past the vehicles without being disturbed. There is ample parking close to the waterhole.

The dam is named after Hapoor, a bull elephant who dominated the park for 24 years. He was known for his strong personality and, after a hunter’s shot went astray, he had a large hole in his ear. This distinctive feature gave him his name: hap oor means "notched ear". Between 1944 and 1968 he fathered most of the calves and increased the herd from 20 to over 50 animals.