Birds lovers in the capital city can look forward to visiting an exciting avian spot, the Johan Koen Bird Park in Pretoria North, which will soon open its doors to visitors.
The Park is an initiative spearheaded by FF Plus and it is promising to enrich the community with its dual focus on conservation and mental health.
FF Plus councillor in the City of Tshwane, Rina Marx, said the Park is a registered, non-profit organisation with a vision "to conserve the environment and make a positive contribution to people's mental health".
She said the idea for the Bird Park took flight after a devastating fire at the Hillside Golf Course.
The blaze, she said, destroyed the natural habitat of numerous bird species, leaving a trail of displaced avian life.
Among the survivors were a family of Egyptian geese wandering aimlessly through urban streets.
Marx said: "The FF Plus cooperated with Wildlife South Africa to save the birds, including a family of Egyptian geese that were wandering the streets."
She said the geese have since made the Johan Koen dam their new home, which also inspired the initiative to create the Bird Park in Pretoria North.
She expressed gratitude to the Tshwane Metro's parks director Pieter Dicks and Dinah Shopa from nature conservation for showing their unwavering support towards a vision for the park that is steadily taking shape.
According to Marx, the duo recognised the potential for the Bird Park to serve as a place where people can relax and escape from their everyday problems in addition to nature conservation.
The upcoming park will host an array of bird species, from graceful waterfowl to the resilient Egyptian geese and elusive darters.
Marx said the space is designed with carefully considered safety measures to ensure a secure environment for both its feathered inhabitants and human guests.
She said: “Safety measures have been implemented to secure the Park. The Park will also be supported by sponsorships and several large companies in the Pretoria North region have already expressed interest.”
She said a key final step before the park's grand opening is the launch of the Community Upliftment Programme.
Pretoria News
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