{"id":506,"date":"2012-05-08T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2012-05-08T06:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/?p=506"},"modified":"2012-05-08T08:00:01","modified_gmt":"2012-05-08T06:00:01","slug":"mana-pools-game-count","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acacia-africa.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/08\/mana-pools-game-count\/","title":{"rendered":"Mana Pools Game Count"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Have you ever wondered what actually happens on a Game Count\u2026 well let me tell you a little about the Mana Pools Game Count.<\/p>\n

Each September\/October over the full moon around 150 people, mostly Zimbabweans, head to Mana Pools to literally count the animals.\u00a0 The theory is that because it is very dry all the game is either concentrated around a permanent water source or on the flood plain.\u00a0 It can be very hot \u2013 sometimes pushing 46 degrees by midmorning!<\/p>\n

The flood plain is divided up into transects and there are 4 \u2013 6 people per team.\u00a0 The transects are 250m apart and the idea is that all the teams sweep the flood plain in unison and count & record every animal that is sighted.\u00a0 It is not uncommon to see Lion, Elephant, Wild Dog and even Leopard whilst walking \u2013 it is definitely not for chickens!\u00a0 In order to try and escape some of the heat the teams walk twice a day over the duration of the weekend, the first walk starts at sunrise and you return to camp to sit out the heat of the day, and walk again late afternoon until sunset.<\/p>\n

It is not uncommon to have visitors in the campsite \u2013 thankfully you don\u2019t have to count in your lunch break\u2026..<\/p>\n

The intense heat, combined with the lack of cold beers, ensures only the dedicated participate!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is a fantastic weekend and all for a great cause, watch this blog spot for my leopard encounter during Mana pools Game Count 2011.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Have you ever wondered what actually happens on a Game Count\u2026 well let me tell you a little about the Mana Pools Game Count. 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