Wildlife Watch: Zoo Lake

After a week’s worth of dreary cloud filled skies, the heavens finally parted this weekend. Since the wife was off in Mayfair earning her Somali culture merit badge, I decided to hoof it down to Zoo Lake.

This large body of water is, not surprisingly, not far from the Johannesburg Zoo. Why anyone in South Africa would want to go see animals in a zoo is anyone’s guess, but I understand it’s quite a fine institution. As for the lake itself, you’ll often see joggers running the path around it, fishermen watching their lines bob from the shade under trees, or those seeking a moment of quiet reflection on a park bench. On weekends it gets quite busy, with families flooding the braai pits and jungle gym. It’s one of the few public spaces in Joburg that is shared equally between blacks and whites—not surprising given the lack of green space in the city.

The water gives refuge to some interesting water fowl. Egrets nest in the trees on the island in the middle of the lake, while common and Egyptian geese cruise the shallows. The red faced fella is a moorhen, whose calm demeanor on the surface belies its long yellow legs paddling furiously beneath the water.

When I’m feeling the itch to get out of the house, but don’t have anywhere to go, Zoo Lake is definitely top of my list.