Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara national park is one of the smallest national parks located in the northern part of Tanzania at the base of the Great Rift Valley. The national park was first established as a game reserve in 1957 and was later turned into a national park in 1960. It covers a total area of 330 square kilometers with two-thirds covered by Lake Manyara, vegetation types like groundwater forests, acacia woodland, swampy marshes, open grasslands among others which act as habitats for wildlife including animals like giraffes, zebras, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, baboons, and different types of bird species among others. The park is famously known for harboring the tree climbing lions which can be viewed resting in the acacia tree branches. Lake Manyara national park derives its name from the Maasai word Manyara which is a plant that is used by the Maasai as a fencing alternative to protect their livestock from thieves, poachers, and predators.