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The article examines the cause of mass deaths of flamingos in Lake Natron in Tanzania in 2006. According to German phycologist Lothar Krienitz who studied the alkaline waters of the lake, there were indications of cyanobacterial toxins that contributed to the flamingo die-offs in the area. The decreasing lake levels and changing salinity have led to a different mix of these microorganisms which produce poisonous substance such as neurotoxin anatoxin-a. Futhermore, other scientists attributed high mortality rate to avian tuberculosis, botulism, heavy-metal pollution and pesticides.

The article reports that an international campaign to protect Lake Natron in Tanzania, a breeding site for flamingos in East Africa, was supported when a technical advisory panel recommended rejection of the environmental impact plan submitted by a company who wants to build a soda-ash extraction plant in the country. Lake Natron Resources had requested permission to construct a large plant at the alkaline lake. The advisory panel found that its plan lacked essential details for the protection of the flamingo breeding area.