Does the COVID-19 Pandemic really help bring back natural wildlife?
Arnav Sama
With the extensive media coverage of COVID-19's spread across the world, orders for quarantine and lockdown has grown. Many populated tourist areas and rural towns have witnessed an increase in natural wildlife. This common occurrence across the world is sometimes distorted for the media's liking. So, when facing the question of whether COVID-19's Pandemic really supports the growth of wildlife in areas where humans have presence may be true, but not to the extent we may believe to.
As we all know Italy has been suffering quite a bit under the effects of government-enforced lockdown and the virus itself, however, as the saying goes "every cloud has a silver lining", that is the wildlife's return to Venice, Italy water canals. With news of Italy's lockdown, tweets of Venice's canals showing clear water and new wildlife surfaced and shocked the world. These tweets showed swans, fish, and dolphins returning to the bodies of water surrounding Venice due to the decrease in boat activity. However, this is not all true. Indeed the waterways became clearer due to the decreased boat activity, but the presence of swans, fish, and dolphins was exaggerated. The prevalence of swans and fish had no change as the pictures taken of swans and fish were staged at areas that are known to have larger populations of the wildlife. On the other hand, it was discovered by Paulo Ordoveza, an image verification expert that the images of the dolphins in Venice were taken in Sardinia, a Mediterranean Island. All in all, the claimed wildlife return in Venice was just exaggeration by the media to give hope to people facing COVID-19.
On the contrary, the interest in whether the COVID-19 Pandemic help bring back wildlife was found noticeably true in Thailand, Japan, and Wales. To begin, in Thailand a mob of macaques, a primate, were found fighting for food in a city plaza due to the decrease in tourist activity. This decrease in tourist activity is responsible for a decrease in available food for these primates because of the abundance of tourists feeding wildlife in nearby ancient temples in forests. With the restrictions of international flights, Thailand has seen a massive drop in tourism, therefore, forcing these macaques into cities in search of food. A similar occurrence was found in Japan where the popular Nara Park, which hosts a large deer population, offers rice crackers for tourists to feed the deer also saw a decrease in tourism and so deer have been found to leave Nara park and wander the streets of a nearby city in search of food. Likewise, in a small town in northern Wales, wild goats left nearby hills and proceeded to take over the town with the sight of no humans and empty roads. Ultimately, the Pandemic seems to allow nearby wildlife to takeover empty streets that are usually taken up by human activity and not actually helping wildlife population growth.
The rapid spread of COVID-19 quickly flooded all sources of media with news of government lockdowns and quarantines. Ever since, locals of cities around the world have witnessed the rise of wildlife in cities with a drop in human activity. Now confronted with the question of whether the COVID-19 Pandemic really helped bring back natural wildlife, the answer is simple. Wildlife goes where humans activity is not.
Questions:
1) Have you seen an increase in natural wildlife near where you live?
2) Do you think there will be any long term effects on wildlife from ongoing lockdowns?
3) How long do you think wildlife will stay in cities after lockdowns end?
Works Cited:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/science/hungry-monkeys-deer-coronavirus.html
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/europe/wild-goats-wales-streets-lockdown-scli-gbr/index.html
31 comments:
Maybe it is just my imagination but I feel like there is more wildlife around my neighborhood. Of course there is always going to be squirrels running around and birds chirping but I have noticed that there has been a lot of birds chirping and I can always see at least one squirrel chilling in my backyard no matter when I look out. Maybe its because I am outside way more than I usually am, or maybe it is because of the virus. Another thing is that everywhere I look is vibrantly green, all the trees and lawns in my neighborhood are so green. But that can easily be explained by the increase in heavy rain, maybe it is a mix. But if it is because of the virus I think that the longer we are alll on shutdown, which every day seems like it’s going to be more and more, the wildlife population will continue to rise and hopefully we realize that it is natural for these animals to be here because it is their habitat that we take over and when we are all done with our lockdowns we rethink our way of life and look at the wildlife’s point of view.
Ever since the start of the quarantine, I have noticed more squirrels roaming around my neighborhood. In fact, our household is currently experiencing squirrels in our attic. Every night, the squirrels go running back and forth in our attic, and my dad has to go in there to try and scare them away. The timing of this problem could be a coincidence, but I do believe it is due to the decrease in human activity. After the lock down ends, I think the wildlife will immediately go back to their safe habitats.
I don’t know if this is related to this at all, but I actually have noticed a lot of squirrels. I can’t remember if it was before “quarantine”, but I was driving home from Sonic and I had to stop for like 5 different squirrels. Also, I’ve been walking my dog a lot around the parks and trails, and I’ve noticed a lot of birds in the trees. Of course, this could just be that I’m noticing it now that I’m looking for it, or it could just be a coincidence. I think that the longer this lockdown, the more likely we are to see an increase in wildlife, but once it ends, I think that they will mostly return to where they were before.
Personally, I haven't really noticed a difference in the number of different species or animals for that matter. It seems to be the same as ever, but I do live right next to the woods, so I guess my argument is kind of invalid. There are always coyotes and squirrels and rabbits by me so I haven't really noticed an increase. However, I have noticed a decrease in rabbits, which is weird, but they may have found a more suitable environment for survival. Also, I believe that once the quarantine has ended, that the wildlife will once again decrease but gradually and not over night.
Honestly, I barely see any difference Flower Mound is occupied with houses. But, other countries are having some positive feedback after the quarantine. Just like Tej’s neighborhood(😂), everything has stayed the same. I think it varies by locations because the number of wildlife are different every biome. After the quarantine, I believe that nothing will change in my neighborhood, but we’re going to hear noises from human activities for frequently.
Because I haven't been outside very much, I haven't really noticed a change in the amount of wildlife present. However, it is great news to see that the health of the earth is improving due to this temporary lockdown. Yet still, I do not see this change staying for very long, for as soon as humans are back to their regular activities, wildlife will be forced to once again retreat into the shadows.
Personally, I have not noticed a major difference in the wildlife around my neighborhood, but this could be because I do not get outside too much. I will take my dog for daily walks and occasionally go on runs, but when I do, there is only a small increase in the amount of wildlife I see. I have seen a few more squirrels and birds on the sidewalks and roads, but I have not seen any major wild animals in my neighborhood (even with the city lockdown and lack of human activity). I think that if these lockdowns last several more months, there will be long term effects on wildlife. If we all stay in our houses for weeks or months at a time, the wildlife will have an opportunity to come out and roam around freely without having human interruption. I think that slowly wildlife will come out the longer we quarantine. After lockdowns end, I do not think it will take long before the wildlife will return to their habitats they had before the lockdowns. This is because when humans come out of lockdown, we will tend to “overdo” everything. We will stay outside much longer, go out to public places, people will build things outside, etc. This will all disturb the wildlife that is freely roaming around the city, so I think they will eventually go back to where they one resided before the lockdown.
Since we have not been outside very much due to the pandemic, I have not seen that much of an increase in wildlife. That could be because I have only been walking around my neighborhood and that is the only wildlife I have seen. I have not seen any wild animal besides some squirrels and birds and bugs. I feel that there will be a longterm effect on wildlife if the coronavirus carries on for more months because the more time we spend away from nature as a whole, there will be less people harming it so it will have time grow and recover from all of the damage the we have put on it for many years. We have never taken a break as a whole community for this long before, so our wildlife will have a chance to flourish. I do not think that wildlife will stay in the cities for a long time after the lockdowns are over because they will want to return to a place that is uninterrupted. While the cities were uninterrupted during the lockdown, after we resume our normal lives again, we will go back to harming the wildlife and it will quickly become a place that wildlife will no longer want to live in.
Recently I have been seeing more rabbits and birds around my backyard and house so that could definitely be caused by the decrease in human activity. I don't know if their will be anything long term just because once this is all over the sharp increase in human activity could reverse the effect happening right now. I think once human activity in cities increases the amount of wildlife in the area will most likely decrease and attempt to relocate somewhere else.
I think the increase in wildlife may be more short term than long term. This is because humans suddenly disappeared, and so wildlife has had ample opportunity to come back. But, as this pandemic will not last forever, when humans suddenly reappear, the wildlife will once again disappear. I think we are seeing very short term effects because the changes are not big enough to be long lasting, and eventually things will just go back to how they once were. After lockdown ends, I think wildlife will stay for a few days only, and then go back, because at the end of the day, humans will be more populous and wildlife will be forced out.
I haven’t really seen an increase in natural wildlife. Maybe it’s just because I haven’t been outside other than my backyard since the virus happened so I wouldn’t even know if there was extra wildlife out and about anyways. No I don’t think there will be any long term effects because even though it seems like a long time to be in quarantine, a few months is really not that long. Especially when you take in to account how long it actually takes for species populations to grow, and how a lot of species only breed at certain parts of the year, etc… basically I don’t think this virus is causing or is going to cause any sort of wildlife growth. I’m sure the wildlife is gonna skrrt out of the cities as soon as they see the first people going outside again.
To a degree yes, since rabbit populations have increased in our area, however, no large wildlife is taking presence in my area. To add, squirrels have become even more often of a sight (shocker right) along with lizards. I think wildlife is beginning to adventure now that human interaction and movement has decreased. To expand, I feel like we are going to see an influx of different species that we typically don't see in suburbia. I think the second people start adventuring again, everything will return back to normal (meaning that the animals will return back to their pre-corona habitats).
I have not seen an increase in wildlife in my neighborhood. I don’t think that there will be any long term affects on wildlife because once the lockdowns are lifted and everything goes back to normal, I would expect that the animals would move back to the area they were at before the pandemic. Though there may not be any long term positive affects of this situation, at least we have decreased carbon emissions drastically for a few weeks. This may possibly do some good in the long term.
I haven’t seen a small increase in natural wildlife near where I live, especially in the pond in front of my house. I don’t know if it’s because I’m staying at home more or the animals feel more comfortable with less human activity. I think wildlife are probably confused on why humans are rarely seen now, and they may be shocked when we return to normal life. Other than that, I don’t think there are any long-term effects from the lockdowns. I think animals may linger for a bit once lockdowns, but they will most likely return to there natural habitats soon.
I do not think I have seen an increase in wildlife where I live however that does not mean that I don't think it is possible. Even though I have not noticed more animals I have noticed that the grass and trees look healthier and more vibrant. I don't think there will be any long term effects and I think when the lockdown is over the wildlife too will return to their normal life. I think the wildlife will stay in the cities for as long as humans are staying out of them.
I have not seen an increase in natural wildlife near where I live although there are more birds chirping lately. I do not believe that there will be long term effects on wildlife from the quarantine because a decrease in anthropogenic activities means the environment and nature have more freedom and room to naturally live their lives, but all these changes are just for the time being. I'm sure the environmental benefits of the coronavirus are very temporary because once human life goes back to normal, people will gradually ease into their everyday lives which increases anthropogenic activities. Overall, it is nice to witness the environment becoming cleaner and more natural, but unfortunately, these positive outcomes are all temporary since this quarantine is also temporary.
I have not seen an increase in wildlife near me but that is probably because I have not been outside too much. I do think that there will be long term effects on endangered wildlife species from lockdown. Overall, I doubt that there will be any long term effects of lockdown for all species. Once the lockdown is over, humans will go back to their usual ways and animals will most likely leave cities and go to their original habitat away from humans.
As I have not been outside recently I could not say if I have noticed any difference in wildlife activity near me. I believe that the long term effects of animals in the midst of the lockdowns are simply that animals who felt on tourists for food will venture deeper into cities now in search of food and animals who do not rely on tourists for food will simply continue on as usual. I believe that once the streets of cities become populated with people again that the animals will quickly retreat back to their usual habitats.
I personally have not noticed a significant change in wildlife activity near me, however, this might be because I have not stepped outside my house very much in that past few weeks. Anyways, I believe that we will not see any significant changes in wildlife activity in the near future because I don't think that we will be in quarantine long enough.
So for instance, a bumble bee is a generalist that visits a wide assortment of blossoms for nourishment, while a sunflower honey bee is to a greater degree a pro. Bumble bees are agreeable everywhere throughout the world, while the Gulf Coast singular honey bee sticks to rise natural surroundings. In any case, a limited range or nourishment source—or both—makes life unsafe in the time of far reaching human interfering: Lose your natural surroundings, and you have no place else to go. What's more, this is a specific risk when the individuals who used to secure your natural surroundings are not, at this point ready to go outside. This is regularly the situation in Africa, where a monstrous ecotourism industry supports protection endeavors. In Namibia, the travel industry represents 16 percent of business; in Tanzania, which is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, ensured lands spread over a fourth of the nation's absolute territory. In any case, almost medium-term, those travel industry ventures have declined, and will probably remain covered through September.
I have definitely seen an increase in wildlife. Everyday when I go on my daily walks I notice that there are more birds chirping and there are more squirrels. I don't think there will be any long term effects because once the virus is over humans will go back to hunting animals and depriving earth's flora and fauna. I think wildlife will stay for a very short life because once humans are involved there is no competitions for them against the animals. Humans will surely make sure the animals are returned back to their natural home.
I have seen an increase in wildlife. Recently I have seen many rabbits around my house burrowing into our front yard. Even when I walk it seems life there is more wildlife that is around. I'm not sure if there will be any long term effects, other than societal effects. I think a lot of us are appreciating nature more than we were before since our time in it is being limited. Maybe the virus will give us some perspective on how important nature is in our every day lives.
I have seen an increase in wildlife around my community. I have seen more birds flying and hear more coyotes howling everyday. I dont think there will be any long term effects because i feel that the COVID-19 outbreak will be contained relatively fast. After people start to get back into their day to day lives, I think that most animals will be cleared out of cities within a few weeks.
This pandemic that has affected the world has brought an increase to animals. Due to humans quarantined animals have free areas to roam without human contact. This is good for animals because they can increase their population so they don’t go extinct later when the pandemic is cured. As we have seen animals have been seen in cities more than usual, and I believe that they will continue to reside in cities until the pandemic is cured and humans can go back to their daily lives. The animals will just leave on their own, or we may have to drive them out.
No, I have not seen an increase in natural wildlife where I live right now. I don't know if it is because I haven't been outside as much, but I do go out time to time. The times I do go outside to just smell the fresh air and breeze, I haven't really seen the difference in wildlife in my neighborhood or my backyard. I think wildlife will probably leave from the increase of the population back into the cities streets.
I haven't really seen an increase in natural wildlife, but that could just be because I'm used to squirrels and birds hanging around my house. Other than what I see/hear in the vicinity of my house, I can't say much on the topic of the return of natural wildlife because I have not ventured outside much. I believe that after the quarantine the animals will go back to their original habitats, due to the return of vehicles on the road.
I actually haven’t seen any increase in wildlife. I live in a neighborhood where squirrels, rabbits, and other animals aren’t really seen anyway. If anything, more humans are outside around here because everyone is at home, places aren’t open, and the weather is nice. Its not surprising though that in some areas more wildlife is being spotted. Even if animals are out and about they’ll be right back where they were when all this is over.
I haven’t seen an increase in natural wildlife, but because there is a mini forest behind my house I see a lot of squirrel, bunny, and kinds of birds. I think this whole lockdown is good for the animals because it’s a time when they can increase their population without human distraction. It’s mostly better for the animals that are being hunted by people to grow their population, as the rhinos are going extinct. It depends how long they will stay in the cities, but I believe they wouldn’t stay too long.
Hey, y'all! It's spring in Texas! and you are on the lookout for more wildlife than ever before. So maybe that's why you are noticing them more. That's why things look GREENER!
I will say that we need to be doing our part to provide habitats for all the critters we are noticing. They need food. They need shelters. Let them work! Don't be afraid of the predators, either!
I haven't directly seen a great increase in wildlife in my area but I am sure it is happening. With fewer cars on the road, animals are far safer from becoming roadkill. Due to the current situation, far more people are walking and entering trails. Hopefully, this exploration will help many people see the beauty of wildlife and encourage them to do more for the wildlife around them. While the occurrence of wildlife in urban areas is unlikely to last when quarantine ends, we might see the development of more eco-friendly construction and architecture.
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