Mana Pools
The Mana Pools National Park with the associated areas Sapi Safari and Chewore located in Urungwe district in the northern region in Mashonaland West Zimbabwe. The area is about 2,500 km ². The area belongs since 1984 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mana means in the language of Shona, " four ", because of the big four, even in the dry season water-filled basin of the Zambezi. For each rainy season, the flood plain of the Zambezi into a seascape that dries out again in the dry season. In this plane are isolated villages, the Muzarabani, operate their people with a meager millet farming.
Human Impacts
The construction of the Kariba Dam above the flood level in the 1950s has changed the timing and extent of flooding. To what extent this has adversely affected the wildlife, but it is not clear. Indisputable is that the dam holds back sludge that would otherwise be flushed into the plane. The lower nutrient input associated affects the food source for herbivores. Another problem is the excessive grazing of trees by elephants.
In the 1980s, it was proposed to build on the downstream Mupata Gorge a dam that threatened to inundate large areas of the flood plain permanently. It is claimed that the designation of the national park was made, among other things to prevent this project. In feasibility studies this project will, however, also today still mentioned regularly.
Landscape
The landscape is dominated by the changing water level of the Zambezi. There are shorelines, islands, sandbanks and pools. Drier areas are covered by a forest of mahogany, ebony, baobab and wild fig. The river and the flood plain bounded by steep cliffs.
Wildlife
Since the permanent water-carrying pools are the only source of water for miles around in the dry season many animals congregate here. The area is therefore popular for observation of large animals. These include lion, African elephant, African buffalo, leopard and cheetah. Many Nile crocodiles and hippos the desiccating summer side arms of the Zambezi retire to the few remaining water bodies ( pools).
The 500 on establishment of the park remaining black rhino are partially fallen victim to poachers, but for the most part been resettled in other Natioinalparks Zimbabwe.