With 325 square kilometers nestling under the wall of the Great Rift Valley, this enchanting park consists of five distinct vegetation zones- a ground water forest with towering mahogany and fig trees; extensive marshland and reeds; plain of open grassland on the precipitous face of the Rift wall. The park is famous for its numerous buffalo, elephant and in particular the lions which have the unusual habit of lying upon the branches of some of the trees. Leopard and rhino are seen in most areas of the park. Manyara is noted for its wealth of birdlife which often include thousands of lesser flamingos.