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The Wilds: Rebirth

The “rebirth” of The Wilds is one of the most heartening community success stories in modern Johannesburg history. It was spearheaded by local artist James Delaney and a dedicated group of volunteers starting around 2013. Delaney began by simply clearing dead wood and trimming overgrown paths on his own, but the project soon evolved into a massive public-private partnership. The most iconic addition to the park during this revival was the installation of over 100 laser-cut steel sculptures of animals. These brightly colored owls, giraffes, antelopes, and monkeys are perched in the trees and tucked behind rocks, turning a walk through the reserve into a scavenger hunt for “industrial wildlife.”

Today, The Wilds is a thriving, safe, and dog-friendly space that hosts yoga classes, art exhibitions, and thousands of visitors every weekend. It has become a symbol of “active citizenship”—the idea that the residents of Johannesburg don’t have to wait for the government to fix their city; they can take ownership of their own neighborhoods. The park is also a critical ecological corridor; in a city that is increasingly paved over, The Wilds provides a habitat for indigenous birdlife and insects that would otherwise struggle to survive in the “concrete jungle.”