Animals that die in this African lake are turned into statues, through calcification. The presence of huge volumes of sodium bicarbonate ensures they turn into mummies. And because of the high alkaline collection, the lake looks red in color, especially during summer in Tanzania. This is the reason why this lake is also known as the ‘Petrifying Lake’. In spite of all these conditions, it is grazing ground for the Lesser Flamingos. It is covered with a thick crust of salt, which is periodically colored in different shades of pink and red. Its water is more like strong alkaline liquor, and besides, it is very hot (from +40°C to +50°C). Touching it threatens a tourist with instant chemical burns, and animals that have fallen into it and died in the process slowly turn into salt mummies. If you take into account the pungent smell of hydrogen sulfide from the surface of the reservoir and the heat characteristic of Tanzania, it becomes clear that the journey to Lake Natron is a test for the desperate extreme. And surprisingly, there are many of them. What is also striking is the fact that this water body, for all its characteristics, is not lifeless. It is here where hundreds of thousands of small flamingos nest and feed. Algae, microorganisms, and even two fish species live in the water. The areas surrounding Natron are home to zebras, ostriches, gazelles, lesser kudu, and jackals.