Over the past five and a half years, Rosemarie and Fred have participated in six 24-hour Game Censuses (Counts) for Wildlife and Environment Zimbabwe (WEZ) in Hwange National Park. For the census, teams are assigned a specific pan (waterhole). They sit in their vehicles and count all mammals that come to the pan from noon one day until 11:59 the next.
During these counts, teams record species, gender, age, whether or not the animal drinks, unusual behavior, or any snares or other wounds. They are also asked to report species such as cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion and certain birds, such as raptors, to other local organizations. WEZ Game Census records go back to 1972.
Each trip across southern Africa begins in Johannesburg. Instead of taking the shortest and fastest route from Johannesburg to Hwange National Park, Rosemarie and Fred work backward from the Census dates to plan theirextended safaris. On their latest trip, in August-September-October 2015, they were traveling for ten weeks! They do this not only to explore different areas and environments, but also to gather educational information to share with others on their return.
As a boy in Cuba, Fred spearfished and explored the ocean near his home. He found two cannons on an old shipwreck, pulled them ashore, and gave them to a local museum. This was just the beginning of his explorations. Fred is a boat Captain and Dive Master. For 10 years he owned a SCUBA diving operation in the Florida Keys. He is a pilot and a Skydiving Instructor, had his own plane and a Skydiving operation in South Florida, and helped develop the square parachute in the 1970s. Fred is an NRA Shotgun Instructor, and Sporting Clays Instructor. For 17 years he was Head Electrician and consultant on projects at Zoo Miami (Miami Metrozoo). Fred is a Member of The Explorers Club and The Southern Florida Chapter since 2014.
Rosemarie is a former high school biology teacher, and a Flight Attendant with National Airlines and Pan Am. On her first safari to Kenya in 1970, she fell in love with Africa. Her first trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana was in 1974, and she has returned to East and Southern Africa at every opportunity. This last safari was her 35th. She has been a Member of The Explorer Club since 1990, and is former Education Committee Chair, Vice Chair, Chair, and now Chapter Treasurer of The Southern Florida Chapter of The Explorers Club, Inc. Rosemarie is also a Member of the Society of Woman Geographers. She has just received her 35-year pin as a Volunteer / Docent for Zoo Miami.