![]() Death comes quickly, and the water causes them to end up in a stone-like state.Įventually, the water recedes and leaves their preserved remains behind. Due to the still, reflective waters, they regularly crash into the lake. The problem is that many migratory birds stop by the lake on their long journies. The impact on wildlife is that it appears to turn them to stone. The problem is the incredibly high alkalinity and absurd temperatures in the lake. Lake Natron killsĪnimals naturally make their way to Lake Natron for food, water, and to find a place to live. Parts of the lake have been measured to have pH levels of anywhere from 10.5 to 12, which is impressively high. As the water evaporates, the alkalinity rises and increases the pH levels dramatically. Lake Natron has an incredibly high salt content. While Lake Natron is not particularly hospitable, the freshwater wetlands around its edges are far more welcoming to a variety of life. That being said, what life does manage to carve out an existence there makes it a key environment. It is an incredibly important wetland region that isn’t exactly teeming with wildlife due to its high temperatures and dangerous waters. Located in the Arusha Region of the African country of Tanzania, this body of water is part of the larger Lake Natron Basin. (Photo by Marcus Valance/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) It is the only wildlife sanctuary in Tanzania bordering the sea. It has an area of 1062 km2 and was officially gazetted in 2005, from a game reserve which had existed from 1969. Saadani National Park is Tanzania’s 13th National Park. "This development will leave lesser flamingoes in East Africa facing extinction."īrandt's haunting photos of Lake Natron can be seen here.DAR ES SALAAM, SAADANI, TANZANIA – 1: A Baobab Tree stands alone in an area cleared of forest with a tractor parked next to it showing the incredible magnitude of the indigenous tree at Saadani National Park. "The chance of the lesser flamingoes continuing to breed in the face of such mayhem are next to zero," said Chris Magin of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. A soda ash plant proposed for the lake's shore would also pump water to extract the sodium carbonate it contains.Įxperts think the changes will be devastating to the lake's ecosystem. Logging in the lake's watershed and a hydroelectric dam planned for nearby Kenya threaten the lake's salinity. Lake Natron now faces an uncertain future. "I took these creatures as I found them on the shoreline, and then placed them in 'living' positions, bringing them back to 'life.' " ![]() "I unexpectedly found the creatures - all manner of birds and bats - washed up along the shoreline of Lake Natron in Northern Tanzania," Brandt told NBC News in an email. ![]() The shots show the calcified animals that died in the lake, placed to look like gargoyles perched on rocks and logs. Now, wildlife photographer Nick Brandt is bringing the horrific appearance of Lake Natron to the masses with a series of photos. In fact, bacteria are one of the only organisms able to live in the lake's waters, which have such a high alkaline content that birds that happen to die and fall in are turned to stone. The lake's waters measure a steamy 80 degrees, and its waters are so filled with bacteria that it looks like it's running red with blood. Tucked away in Africa's Rift Valley, the ancient lake is the mating ground of the endangered lesser flamingo, but not hospitable to nearly any other living thing. Lake Natron looks like something out of a horror movie.
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