The formation of an ox-bow lake in Kerala - a rare natural phenomenon in this part of the world - has aroused the interest of environmentalists who plan to delve deeper into it and prevent its conversion into paddy fields. The ox-bow lake - not a common feature in Kerala as the steep topography of the State prevents rivers from taking a meandering course - has been discovered in the Chalakudy river in Thrissur district recently."It is essential to consere the ox-bow lake as this would perhaps be the only remaining such lake in Kerala," says Dr. Sunny George, Principal Investigator and Secretary of the Limnological Association of Kerala.