Description

Lake Natron in Tanzania is the world’s only regular breeding ground for approximately 2.5 million Lesser Flamingos, a status that makes the species “near threatened” due to its dependence on this single location. The lake’s highly caustic, alkaline waters create a hostile environment for predators, providing a safe nesting and breeding sanctuary on salt-formed islands where flamingos feed on the algae-rich waters. The flamingos get their pinkish-red color from the pigments in the cyanobacteria that thrive in the lake’s extreme conditions.