A biodiversity hotspot
Lake Manyara National Park is a small gem of biodiversity. Its size is rather modest, just 360 km², but inside it coexist many different ecosystems and just as many animal species.
The rainforest in the north is rich in fig trees, tamarind trees and mahogany and is the ideal habitat for giraffes, elephants, warthogs, impalas, baboons and vervet monkeys. Heading down toward the lake shores, the forest gives way to savanna and then to wetlands made of swamps and reed beds, crowded with hippos.
The west shore of Lake Manyara is squeezed between the water and the Rift Valley escarpment: geothermal activity in this area is quite intense and has created some sulphur springs that reach temperatures over 70°C. The eastern shore is a narrow strip of land running through a lagoon landscape, where you can observe hundreds of bird species: flamingos, herons, ducks, glossy ibis, white pelicans and marabou storks are just a few examples.
Finally, toward the south, there’s another lush area again, where palms and umbrella acacias stand out. Right here you might witness a truly unusual sight: to escape the ground humidity, lions climb into acacia trees. And for this reason they’re called tree-climbing lions.