Mikumi National Park is often compared to the Serengeti. The north-west vegetation consists of savannah dotted with acacia, baobab, tamarinds, and some rare palm. In this area, at the furthest from the road, there are spectacular rock formations of the mountains Rubeho and Uluguru. The southeast part of the park is less rich in wildlife, and not very accessible. The fauna includes many species characteristic of the African savannah. According to locals seeing a lion who climbs a tree trunk is larger than in Manyara (famous for being one of the few places where the lions exhibit this behavior). The park contains a subspecies of giraffe, that biologists consider the link between the Masai giraffe and the Somali giraffe. Other animals in the park are elephants, zebras, gnu, impales, eland, kudu, black antelope, baboons, wildebeests and buffaloes. More than 400 different species of birds also inhabit the park.