Toxic Algae Kills 16,000 Tanzanian Flamingoes

At least 16,000 pink flamingoes, like those shown here, have died of food poisoning after consuming toxic algae from two lakes in Tanzania. Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife.

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AP) -- Unusually high levels of toxins in algae may have killed at least 16,000 pink flamingoes nesting near two northeastern Tanzanian lakes between July and August, scientists said in a report.

The toxins in the blue-green algae, the flamingoes' main food, may have built up as water levels fell - and salinity rose - in Lake Manyara and Lake Momela during a drought in the region, said a report prepared by Charles Lugomela, Harish Pratap and Yunus Mgaya of the University of Dar es Salaam.

The report suggested that wildlife officials monitor the lakes during the rainy and dry seasons to study chemical contents of the water and how they affect the flamingoes.

The report also urged monitoring of human activities, which have tremendous influence on lakes.

"We are taking the situation very seriously and will fully respect the report,'' Gerald Bigurube, head of the Tanzania National Parks Authority.

The parks service sent samples of the algae to Germany for further tests and results have not been released.

Lake Manyara is home to about 1.2 million flamingoes.