Do Animals Need Our Voice?

It was interesting when I came across some articles and videos about what has happened to wildlife while people were in lockdown due to COVID, and I thought I should share some of them with you to enjoy. There have not been many bright spots in the Coronavirus pandemic, but one has been the apparent return of nature as the frantic pace of modern life has slowed.

As soon as humans emptied the streets, animals took over. From the US to France, Italy to Japan, Poland to England and India, animals have truly come out of the wild. It is a lesson in the human-wildlife conflict that tells us how we have occupied their spaces — and how animals reclaim them the first chance they get. Earth Day 2020 was a bizarre moment for the planet, with humans in lockdown due to the coronavirus, and many animals suddenly feeling emboldened to venture into now-deserted cities, towns, and parks. Humans have watched from afar as nature has come creeping out of the shadows amid global lockdowns.

Animals world over are rejoicing over the newfound freedom and extra space to move around. Several videos of wild animals strolling around the city streets have surfaced on social media. Wild turkeys took their spot at a school playground in California, US; deer were seen in a town in Poland; wild pigs reached the streets of Paris, France; and wild boars traveled to the roads of Barcelona, Spain. In Wales, mountain goats caused havoc on the streets of Llandudno. In Lopburi, Thailand, rival gangs of monkeys brawled over food, while in the UK, hedgehogs enjoyed relatively car-free roads. Coyotes prowled on empty San Francisco streets and deer wandered freely around Nara, Japan. Animals are loving the quiet and a world free of human presence.

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The peaceful reclamation of public spaces by animals shows who the real intruders are. While embracing an aggressive, ‘development-driven’ lifestyle, we have altered the natural surroundings, keeping our needs and desires first. The Coronavirus lockdown is a lesson for humans to rethink their relationship with nature.

It remains to be seen how things are going to change once the lockdown is over. We will get back to our daily routines. The roads will be flocked by thousands of vehicles, and the animals would be forced to retreat to the wild and their sanctuaries and zoos. There is a possibility human-animal conflicts might increase if they get used to a human-free environment. Human-wildlife interaction needs to change. We need to be more inclusive, make laws keeping in mind the ecological aspect, or at least not interfering with nature’s way of functioning.

So while the newly emboldened wildlife of Western cities brings joy in these dark times and a welcome reminder of nature’s resilience, the world’s wildlife won’t be saved by a temporary economic lull. To achieve that, we’re going to have to ensure conservation moves to the top of the agenda in the post-pandemic world.

I hope these videos brought a smile to your face, and reminded you that these mute animals need us to be their voice. Let’s be the voice, and protect and support wildlife conservation efforts around the world!