• Famous tree-climbing lions
• Large herds of elephant and buffalo
• Richest birdwatching locality in Tanzania
• Enormous flocks of nomadic lesser flamingo
• Extraordinary hot springs on lakeshore
• Luxuriant groundwater forest

Mammals at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge:
Manyara is renowned for its tree-climbing lions which may be seen resting in favoured spots. After a decade of heavy poaching, elephant numbers have recovered and the great pachyderms are regularly encountered the Park was the site of Iain Douglas-Hamiltons pioneering work on elephant societies. Olive baboon troops may number up to 200 individuals. Giraffe are abundant with many males being very dark in colour. Small numbers of Hecks wildebeest (a subspecies of the common wildebeest) favour the lakeshore. Buffalo bulls with enormous horns wallow in the lake shallows, and hippos are regularly seen. Leopard and Cape clawless otter are occasionally encountered. Klipspringers hold territories around boulders at the base of the Rift Valley wall.

Birds at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge:
A remarkable 387 species are recorded. Over a million lesser flamingos may occur on the lake although they do not breed here. Great numbers of white pelican, pink-backed pelican, greater flamingo and yellow-billed stork also populate the lake on a seasonal basis. Countless other waterfowl, including many Eurasian migrants, favour the lakeshore. Birds of prey are represented by a remarkable 46 species including Ruppells griffon, Egyptian vulture, palmnut vulture, Verreauxs eagle, crowned eagle, martial eagle, bat hawk and peregrine falcon. Vociferous silvery-cheeked hornbills inhabit evergreen forest and southern ground hornbills stalk open woodland in family groups. Among the more colourful bush birds are Fischers lovebird, blue-naped mousebird, grey-headed kingfisher, Abyssinian scimitarbill, red-and-yellow barbet and Peters twinspot.

Other African wildlife:
Huge African rock python dwell among boulders and ambush prey in wetlands. Gigantic, cathedral-like termite mounds are the work of millions of these industrious, colonial insects. A variety of colourful beetles and butterflies abound. Interestingly, there are no Nile crocodiles in the lake. Dragonflies and damselflies are prolific at the water's edge.