page_title: The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve
section_title: Decline and rejuvenation
hierarchical_section_title: The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve / Decline and rejuvenation
caption_attribution_description: English: The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg General Hospital, taken from The Wilds during a storm
context_page_description: The Wilds is an inner city park in the suburb of Houghton, in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The park consists of 16 hectares of indigenous vegetation on the sides of two rocky koppies or hills with views of the city of Johannesburg and its suburbs. Through the 1990s the park gained a reputation for being highly dangerous and crime ridden, however, it is becoming increasingly popular again largely due to the efforts of volunteers.
context_section_description: Beginning in the early 1990s, the park started developing a reputation for being a crime hotspot. It was entirely unfenced and due to the dense foliage in parts of the park it made for easy targets. Residents of the neighbouring areas began avoiding the park and it became well known as a no-go area. In the early 2000s, the park was fenced off, however, its reputation remained. In 2012, Johannesburg artist, James Delaney decided to reclaim the park and began an ongoing project of de-weeding and clearing some of the dense overgrowth in order to create good lines of sight between paths. In 2017, to celebrate Mandela Day Delaney created an installation of 67 metal owls, the first of many art installations he would go on to create for the park. The artwork generated some media attention and residents have slowly begun reclaiming the park. As of 2019, The Wilds is experiencing almost no crime and has become a favourite amongst residents from both nearby suburbs and further afield. Students from neighbouring private girls' school Roedean are also involved with the upkeep of the park.
caption: View of The Charlotte Maxeke Hospital from The Wilds
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