Jhb zoo probes duck deaths
2007-11-28 14:29
Johannesburg - Johannesburg city council is investigating the deaths of about 200 ducks at Zoo Lake in Parkview, spokesperson Nthatise Modingoane said on Wednesday.
He said the ducks had died sometime last week and that two possible causes were being investigated. These were hail and botulism bacteria which kills fauna.
Modingoane said an outbreak of the bacteria was discovered in March this year in sickly ducks at Zoo Lake. The outbreak was contained and addressed and no further outbreaks were found.
He said it was too early to ascertain whether the bacteria had caused the deaths of the ducks as tests were still being conducted.
Johannesburg Water's Cydna laboratories spokeseperson Mike Mtau said tests were conducted on water in and around Johannesburg every month.
The council tests both the surface water and the deeper "sludge" found at lake bottoms.
Last month's tests showed no dangerous levels of zinc, lead, mercury, sulphides, chlorides, fluorides, e.coli bacteria or harmful algae in Zoo Lake, said Mtau.
Modingoane said the council did not believe the outbreak could be the Avian flu.
- SAPA