Johannesburg - The Johannesburg Zoo will be closed today after heavy rains caused a portion of the perimeter wall on Jan Smuts to collapse on Wednesday.
An estimated 30m section of the concrete and palisade wall gave way when torrent rains hit Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The wall was a boundary fence so the inner steel fence remains intact, providing security for the antelope and birds that are found in that section of the zoo.
Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) said no animals had escaped and initial inspections found that all the animals were unharmed by the weather.
“We carried out an assessment this morning and ascertained that there was no threat to the animals or visitors following the rains. We appeal to the public to give us today to assess and stabilise the animals. We have vets on standby as the animals may have endured stress due to the lightning.”
She confirmed that the zoo will be shut for mop-up operations for one day but they may allow small groups in.
“Our main concern is repairing the perimeter fence and tidying up the pathways and pockets of flooding,” said Moodley.
The section of collapsed wall is where Jan Smuts dips and large amounts of water pools form when heavy rains occur.
Assessment of the damage to the wall will be a priority and zookeepers will carry out checks on all the animals to ascertain their condition.
Contact: 011 646 2000 for more information.
The Star