Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) spokesperson Jenny Moodley said zoo veterinarians are performing post-mortem examinations on selected bird carcasses to determine the cause of death. JCPZ’s environmental conservation team removed the dead birds on the morning of Monday, 2 November 2026, and sent some to the zoo’s veterinary hospital. Teams from JCPZ conservation and operations, the city’s environment and infrastructure services department, and Johannesburg Water collected water samples at the site. Veterinary findings and water-quality results will guide any further action.
Avian botulism is a form of poisoning that can affect waterbirds. Hot conditions, warmer water, and decomposing organic matter can create an environment that favours the production of the toxins involved. Moodley noted that many of Johannesburg’s urban dams and lakes are man-made and receive stormwater runoff that can carry pollutants, litter, and organic waste, so clear-looking water is not necessarily safe.
The public has been advised not to swim in these water bodies or eat fish caught in them. Children and pets should stay away from dead or visibly distressed wildlife, and people should avoid handling dead birds or fish.
Similar bird-death incidents have occurred at Zoo Lake and other Gauteng water bodies in previous years (including a notable event in 2020 and larger avian influenza-related die-offs in 2017). Results from the current tests are pending.
