The variety of animals in Lake SandovalSandoval lake is shaped like a half moon or a horseshoe, formed generations ago by the changing waters of the Madre de Dios River (meanders), and is considered by specialists in the jungle as the best and most attractive lake in the world and Peruvian jungle.sandoval lake in tambopatasandoval lake in tambopataThis particular ox-bow lake Sandoval has one of the largest and most accessible populations of giant otters in danger of extinction in Peru, the huge black caiman and the 10-foot-long paiche, the largest freshwater fish in the world.Once widespread throughout South America, the giant otter was hunted almost to extinction and is now one of the most vulnerable mammals on the continent.However, Lake Sandoval has a prosperous and healthy population, tourists have the opportunity to see these powerful predators while they feed themselves fishing and have fun in the lake, as well as a lot of colorful birds.Ox-bow lake SandovalAn oxbow lake (like the Sandoval) is a U-shaped lake that forms when a broad meander is cut from the main stem of a river, creating an independent body of water. This form of relief is so called because of its distinctive curved shape, which resembles a half-moon arch or a horseshoe. In Australia, an ox-bow lake is called billabong.The word “ox-bow” can also refer to a U-shaped curve in a river or stream, whether or not it is separated from the mainstream.giant otter in lake sandovalgiant otter in lake sandovalLake Sandoval was created the way a river creates a meander, a lake is formed in the form of a horseshoe because the river erodes the bank.After a long period of time, the meander becomes very curved, and finally the neck of the meander narrows and the river crosses the neck during a flood, cutting the meander and forming an ox-bow lake.When a river reaches a low plain, often in its final course towards the sea or a lake, it meanders widely.The continuous deposition on the convex shore and the erosion of the concave bank of a serpentine river cause the formation of a very pronounced meander with two concave banks getting closer and closer.The narrow neck of land between the two neighboring concave banks is finally cut, either by the lateral erosion of the two concave banks or by the strong currents of a flood. When this happens, a new straight river channel is developed, and an abandoned meander cycle, called the cut point, is formed. When the deposition finally seals the cutoff point of the river channel, an ox-bow lake is formed. This process can occur over a period of a few years to several decades, and can sometimes become essentially static.The flood plains of rivers that contain rivers with a very sinuous platform are populated by lakes longer than those with low sinuosity.