Mysteries of Zoo Lake could be revealed
Anyone that’s ever wondered what mysteries lie at the bottom of Zoo Lake will find out in May.
On 17 December 1964, two boys fishing at the lake found a woman’s toothless head wrapped in plastic after it had hooked onto their line.
According to the Boksburg and East Rand Historical Association, the head was later identified as belonging to a woman whose torso had been found months earlier in Boksburg Lake, and her dismembered legs in Wemmer Pan.
Secrets that have found their way to the bottom of Zoo Lake may soon be uncovered.
According to City Parks spokesperson Jenny Moodley, dredging of the 110-year-old landmark is set to begin at the beginning of May.
“Construction could take about four months to complete without taking into consideration the external factors that may necessitate delays in construction,” she said.
Many Parks residents may be a little wary of the smell that could come with the work however, Moodley said City Parks had processed many slug samples in preparation for the dredging.
“If those are anything to go by, we do not anticipate any harmful odours or pose a significant risk of any unpleasantness,” she reassured.
Environmentally friendly residents can also be rest assured that the material removed from the lake would not be dumped elsewhere.
“Some of the sludge removed from the lake will be used to upgrade the parking area off Jan Smuts Avenue,” said Moodley. “This area will be used as a holding area while a three storey building to be used for parking, is built at the zoo.”
The plan will include the creation of a link between the zoo and Zoo Lake, and the upgrade of recreational areas in the park. The upgrade will include a jogging trail and an outdoor gym.
Ward 117 councillor Tim Truluck said although he welcomed the dredging of the two middle lakes at Zoo Lake, he was not convinced that the removed silt would not be “smelly”.
“If City Parks says it won’t, then I will be happy to be proved wrong, but I would still be prepared for a smell just in case,” said Truluck.
“The redevelopment of the car park in Lower Park Drive will, at last, enable the residents opposite the park to get some relief from the illegal partying that often occurs there after hours at weekends.”
