Residents of Johannesburg are urged to assist wildlife during heatwaves by placing shallow water containers for pets, birds, bees, and other small animals.
This plea was made by Thanduxolo Mendrew, Managing Director of the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo.
He also said due to adverse weather, workers will stop working as part of a major blitz operations.
About 130 workers deployed on Wednesday, 28 January, are expected to return to work on Wednesday, 4 February, to focus on parks and main arterial verges along the outskirts of the CBD, in Region F.
Their focus is on critical horticultural maintenance in the far south of Johannesburg and along key routes and facilities. This includes grass-cutting and tree pruning.
“Residents are kindly reminded that this should not be misconstrued as negligence or a lack of prioritizing service delivery” said Mendrew.
Joburg Parks and Zoo oversees over 2175 public open spaces — including parks, nature reserves, cemeteries, street trees, main arterial verges, areas along water bodies, and the Johannesburg Zoo.
“Animal welfare is also of paramount importance during inclement weather. At the Johannesburg Zoo, fresh drinking water is consistently replenished, sprinklers and fans are activated, and cool night rooms remain accessible to animals. In public parks, private security providers deployed with canine units have been reminded of their responsibility to ensure the well-being of guard dogs, including providing kennels and regularly refreshing their drinking water” he added.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has warned against heavy downpours (at level 2), in Gauteng, Western parts of KwaZulu Natal (KZN), Free State, North West, southern parts of Mpumalanga, southern western parts of Limpopo and the northeastern parts of the Northern Cape.
Picture: Supplied