Lake Manyara Park

Lake Manyara Park lies mostly between the 600 meter Great Rift Valley Escarpment and Lake Manyara.  Because of its diverse ecosystems, woodlands, grasslands and swamps, there is a great variety of wildlife and bird species.  The park is known for its tree climbing lions.  It was in this park that Iain Douglas-Hamilton, known as the grandfather of elephant research, conducted some of his most famous studies.

The park is considered a year-round park, even though some 200 sq kms of its 330 sq kms are covered by lake water.  Lake Manyara is one of the many alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley. It was formed abut three million years ago and is quite shallow, with an average depth of about three metres. The lake hosts large fish populations, notably Tilapia and Catfish and attracts hundreds of bird species, especially breathtaking flocks of flamingos.

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