Wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park

Wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park

Wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park

Wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park: Lake Manyara national park is among the wildlife viewing destinations which are located in the northern part of Tanzania. This national park is found in the south western direction from Arusha.

Despite its small size compared to other wildlife viewing destinations in the northern part of Tanzania such as Serengeti national park, Tarangire national park, and Ngorongoro conservation area, lake Manyara national park offers amazing wildlife viewing experiences due to its diverse natural surroundings and different attractions.

Lake Manyara Tanzania is also conveniently located close to Arusha where wildlife viewing experiences can begin from. This national park is also located close to other wildlife viewing destinations making it easy for tourists to move from one destination to another on their itineraries.

Elephants are among the many wildlife species which this national park is known to have and they can be seen as tourists explore the savannah plains in Lake Manyara. The national park was established to protect these elephant species which can be seen in big numbers at the destination.

Tree climbing lions are also among the unique wildlife species which can be seen in Lake Manyara. These lions can be seen up in the trees especially during the day time as they observe their prey in the open savannah. These tree climbing lions can also be seen in ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth national park in south western Uganda.

Other wildlife species which tourists can enjoy seeing as they explore Lake Manyara national park include monkeys, antelopes, gazelles, baboons, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, klipspringers, impalas, and many others.

The diverse scenery in this national park acts as a habitat for the different wildlife species which can be seen in Lake Manyara national park. The national park consists of woodlands, open savannah plains, forests, and a shallow alkaline lake.

Tourists interested in seeing the different wildlife species in Lake Manyara prefer the dry season during the months of June to October when the wildlife species can easily be seen in the savannah plains and around the different water points in the national park.

There are also other times of the year when tourists can visit Lake Manyara national park to engage in different wildlife viewing activities and this includes the high season and the low season.

During the low season, there are few tourists within the national park and the prices of different tourist facilities are subsidized while during the high season, tourists are many in number and the prices for different tourist facilities are a bit high.

Wildlife viewing activities which tourists visiting Lake Manyara park engage in include the following;

Nature walks

Among the unique wildlife activities which take place in Lake Manyara national park are nature walks. This activity takes place in the company of a ranger guide and involves exploring the savannah plains of the national park on foot.

There are different routes or tracks followed by tourists during their nature walking activity in Lake Manyara national park. Among them is the treetop walkway which is a trail along which tourists walk on a suspended bridge into the forest where different wildlife species such as monkeys can be seen as well as a variety of bird species.

The treetop walkway is also good for tourists interested in bird watching experiences since different bird species can be seen among the trees. Wildlife species can also be seen roaming among the trees such as elephants, antelopes and buffalos. 

There are also different viewing points along the treetop walkway where tourists can have a short stop and enjoy the scenery around them and see different attractions in Lake Manyara national park.

This activity gives tourists a close encounter with their natural surroundings as they explore the national park on foot.

Game drives

Tourists can also engage in game drives during their safaris in Lake Manyara. This activity takes place at different times of day such as in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the night as well as for the full day. 

A variety of wildlife species can be seen during morning game drives such as antelopes, zebras, buffalos, elephants, giraffes and many others which are very active at this time of day and can be seen as they feed and graze in the savannah plains of Lake Manyara national park.

Night game drives involve driving around the national park in search of nocturnal wildlife species such as civets, caracals, lions, leopards, hyenas among others which can be spotted with the help of a ranger guide. Predators are among the wildlife species which can be seen especially at night when they are very active.

Full day game drives in Lake Manyara in search of wildlife species take place for the whole day and tourists are able to observe the behavior of the wildlife as they explore the wilderness of the national park.

Park entry is among the requirements tourists or visitors on safari in Lake Manyara national park are required to pay in order to be allowed entry into the national park. Nonresidents pay entry fees of 53 USD while East Africans pay in Tanzania shillings (TSH). These fees also vary for children and adults visiting the national park.

Wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park
Wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park

There are certain regulations put in place to be followed by visitors in lake Manyara as they engage in wildlife viewing activities at the destination and these include the following;

Avoid littering

Tourists are discouraged from littering around the national park as they engage in different activities such as game drives or nature walks. This is a form of promoting conservation practices at the destination and also helps to keep the environment clean. 

Avoid making noise 

Tourists are also expected to avoid making noise as they explore the national park in search of different wildlife species. This is because noise disrupts the calm nature of the natural surroundings of the national park and may cause stampedes among the wildlife species or scare away the wildlife.

Avoid feeding the wildlife

Feeding the wildlife species is another act in which tourists are discouraged from doing as they drive around the national park. This is because feeding the wildlife interferes with their normal feeding habits and makes it difficult for the wildlife species to survive on their own in the wild.

The above regulations are among the many put in place to ensure that tourists enjoy their safaris while also promoting the conservation of the environment. Failure to follow these regulations however has certain fines and penalties.

Visit lake Manyara national park and enjoy amazing wildlife viewing experiences by booking a safari with Focus East Africa tours.

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