LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK FULL DAY TRIP FROM ARUSHA:

The big question is, why do lions climb trees?

• Escape from Pests: One of the most widely accepted reasons is to avoid the irritation of ground-dwelling insects like tsetse flies, mosquitoes, and other biting bugs, especially during the rainy season. Higher up in the trees, there are fewer insects.
• Cooling Off: Climbing trees allows lions to escape the intense heat of the African plains. The higher elevation provides shade and better air circulation, offering a cooler resting spot, especially during the hottest parts of the day.
• Better Vantage Point: From a higher position, lions can gain a better view of their surroundings. This allows them to spot potential prey, monitor their territory, and observe other predators or threats more effectively, especially in areas with tall grass.
• Avoiding Aggressive Animals: In some areas, lions might climb trees to avoid potentially dangerous encounters with large herbivores like buffaloes or elephants, especially during stampedes.
• Stealing Kills: Lions have been observed climbing trees to steal kills that leopards, who are expert climbers, have stashed in the branches.
• Playfulness and Learning: Young cubs are naturally curious and playful, and climbing trees can be part of their exploration and development of coordination and strength. This behaviour might continue into adulthood for some individuals or prides.
• Learned Behaviour: In the specific populations where tree climbing is common, it’s believed to be a learned behavior passed down through generations. Cubs observe adults climbing and imitate them, establishing it as a habit within the pride.

The tree-climbing lions are a fascinating example of behavioural adaptation in response to local environmental conditions and potentially learned social behaviors. They are a significant tourist attraction in the parks where they are found, offering a unique and memorable wildlife sighting.

LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK DAY SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Tree-Climbing Lions: Lake Manyara is famous for its unique population of lions that have developed the unusual behavior of climbing trees, often spotted lounging on acacia branches during the day. This is a rare sight not commonly seen in other parks.
2. Alkaline Lake and Flamingos: The park’s namesake, Lake Manyara, is a shallow, alkaline lake that can attract vast flocks of pink-hued flamingos, sometimes numbering in the thousands, creating a stunning spectacle. The lake also supports a variety of other waterbirds, such as pelicans, storks, and cormorants.

Apart from Lake Manyara, other best places to see flamingos in East Africa Include: Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya), Lake Bogoria National Reserve (Kenya), Lake Elementaita (Kenya), Lake Naivasha (Kenya), Lake Magadi (Kenya), Amboseli National Park (Kenya), Lake Turkana (Kenya), Lake Natron (Tanzania), Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania) & Lake Magadi (Tanzania).

3. Diverse Habitats: Despite its size, the park boasts a remarkable variety of habitats, including:

• Lush Groundwater Forest: Fed by underground springs at the base of the Rift Valley Escarpment, this dense forest is home to large troops of baboons and blue monkeys.
• Acacia Woodlands: Open woodlands dominate much of the park, providing habitat for giraffes and other plains game.
• Grassy Floodplains: These areas attract herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra.
• Swamps: Particularly in the north, swamps are home to hippos and various waterbirds.
• Rift Valley Escarpment: The dramatic backdrop of the Great Rift Valley escarpment provides scenic vistas and is inhabited by klipspringers and a dense leopard population (though they can be elusive).

4. Exceptional Birdwatching: Lake Manyara is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 400 recorded species. This includes a wide array of waterbirds attracted to the lake, numerous raptors, and forest-dwelling species. Migratory birds are also present from November to April.
5. Large Elephant Herds: The park is known for its healthy population of elephants, often seen feeding in the forests and along the lakeshore.
6. High Baboon Concentration: Lake Manyara is said to have one of the highest concentrations of baboons in Africa, with large troops frequently encountered.
7. Scenic Beauty: The combination of the lake, the escarpment, the diverse vegetation, and the wildlife makes Lake Manyara a very picturesque park. Ernest Hemingway famously described it as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.”
8. Walking Safaris and Treetop Walkway: Unlike some other parks, Lake Manyara offers opportunities for walking safaris, providing a more intimate experience with the flora and fauna. The Lake Manyara Treetop Walkway is Tanzania’s first raised forest canopy walk, offering a unique perspective of the park’s layers, from the ground to the treetops.
9. Cultural Encounters: The nearby Mto wa Mbu village offers opportunities for cultural tourism, providing insights into local Tanzanian life.