A Creepy Halloween Story Courtesy of Mother Nature

                Does Mother Nature have something a little creeeeepy for you for Halloween? You bet she does. She wouldn’t miss out on the fun, would she?

                Begin by picturing a little lake. It’s not a huge lake. It’s in a ravine in the wilderness of the African nation of Tanzania, not far from the border of Kenya.  You’ve come to Lake Natron.

                Now, imagine that lake is bright, bright pink. Vivid waives swirl and splosh around in startlingly bright pinky-ness.

                Suddenly, a cold chill rushes down your spine, because along the edge of the lake, you see them – bats, birds, critters – frozen in mid-action, each entirely and permanently encased in hard, grey stone. The story goes that this eerie lake is such that, the minute the animals touch the water, they turn into cold, stone statues.
 
                I hate so much to burst that eerie bubble, but the scientists say it’s not quite like that. Lake Natron does not instantly turn animals to stone. In fact the water is full of life. And I do mean full! This lake is the only regular breeding site in this part of Africa for the 2.5 million lesser flamingos. That’s a whole lot of flamingos! There are times when the lake is just a sea of pink feathers and skinny legs! The flamingos like the place because it happens to be in an environment that makes it difficult for predators to reach. It also happens to be rich in the food that the birds like.

                So it would seem that the whole business about animals turning to stone is just a tale - - except for one small thing. The stone animals really exist!

                A photographer was exploring along the lake, when he found them stuck in the muck. Naturally, given his profession, he made some pictures. Some very eerie, creepy pictures. (Shudder!)

                So how does it happen? Where did these stone animals come from? Well, the lake is very, very high in minerals. This is just its natural state as a result of where it’s located. The surrounding area drops the minerals into the water. This is what causes that pinkish color of the lake. When animals are unfortunate enough to die the water, the minerals in the lake collect and encase the animals. It’s a little less fun than the spine-tingling rumor, but it’s still a bit creepy.

                Even scarier, however, is the wanton destruction of another one of Mother Nature’s wonders. Local logging operations are threatening the salinity levels of the lake which would, of course, have an impact all the living things that call the lake home. But more, the authorities are planning a water plant on the lake’s shores. The plan is to take the water out of the lake and process it in order to sell the minerals. This operation would include a large human settlement to accommodate the workers, which means people and all their by-products everywhere. As if this wasn’t enough, they’re planning to introduce a foreign species of shrimp that will, somehow, assist in this operation. I wonder if they’ve studied the impact of this shrimp on the rest of the ecosystem? Experts say there’s little chance the flamingos or other species could possibly continue under such conditions and, as this is the primary nursery for the flamingos, they could be looking at extinction.

                Of course, I realize people need to work. I don’t begrudge them that.  And I realize we need certain products to function in life.

                There just has to be a way to do it without damaging the earth in our wake.
File:Phoenicopterus minor -Lake Bogoria, Kenya-8a.jpg

               

               

Comments

Anonymous said…
I hope this lake isn't wrecked by our constant need to make money😔