Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

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Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

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April 3, 2020 |Becky Thomas, Senior Teaching Fellow in Ecology, Royal Holloway

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As quarantine measures take hold across the world, our towns and cities are falling silent. With most people indoors, the usual din of human voices and traffic is being replaced by an eerie, empty calm. The wildlife we share our concrete jungles with are noticing, and responding.

You’ve probably seen posts on social media about animals being more visible in urban centres. Animals that live in cities or on their outskirts are exploring the empty streets, like the Kashmiri goats in Llandudno, Wales. Others that would normally only venture out at night are becoming bolder and exploring during the daytime, like the wild boar in Barcelona, Spain.

Our new habits are altering the urban environment in ways that are likely to be both positive and negative for nature. So which species are likely to prosper and which are likely to struggle?
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- Caroline Lawrence
@CarolineLawrenc

Wild boar on the streets of Barcelona, urban coyotes in San Francisco and monkeys in Thailand... How animals are reclaiming our #coronavirus deserted city streets. Read with a grain of salt! 😉

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Hooray for hedgehogs

It’s important to note some species may be unaffected by the lockdown. As it coincides with spring in the northern hemisphere, trees will still bud and flower and frogs will continue to fill garden ponds with frog spawn. But other species will be noticing our absence.

The way we affect wildlife is complex, and some of the changes that we’ll see are hard to predict, but we can make some assumptions. In the UK, hedgehogs are our most popular mammal, but their numbers are in rapid decline. There are many reasons for this, but many die on roads after being hit by cars. With people being asked to only make essential journeys, we are already seeing reduced road traffic. Our spiny friends will have just emerged from hibernation and will no doubt be grateful for the change.

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The lockdown could be well timed for hedgehogs emerging from hibernation. Besarab Serhii/Shutterstock

Cities are also noisy places, and the noise affects how different species communicate with each other. Birds have to sing louder and at a higher pitch than their rural counterparts, which affects the perceived quality of their songs. With reduced traffic noise, we could see differences in how bats, birds and other animals communicate, perhaps offering better mating opportunities.

School closures may not be ideal for working parents, but many will use their time to connect with nature in their own backyard. More time spent in gardens (for those lucky enough to have one), perhaps doing activities like making bird feeders, could help encourage nature close to home. There’s been a surge in people taking part in citizen science projects like the Big Butterfly Count too. These help scientists to predict the population trends of different species. The British Trust for Ornithology has just made participation in their Garden BirdWatch Project free during the lockdown, so you can connect with wildlife and contribute to important scientific research.

Desolation for ducks

All is not rosy for wildlife. Many species currently rely on food provided by humans. From primates fed by tourists in Thailand, to the ducks and geese at local parks which have been closed to the public, many animals may be seeking new sources of food.

In the UK, the bird breeding season has already begun for earlier breeders like robins. Depending on how long restrictions last, many birds could ultimately make bad decisions about where to breed, assuming their carefully chosen spot is always rarely disturbed. This could threaten rarer birds which breed in the UK, such as little terns, as dog walkers and other people flock to beaches once restrictions are lifted, potentially trampling and disturbing breeding pairs and their young.

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A little tern sheltering eggs on an open beach. BOONCHUAY PROMJIAM/Shutterstock

Dog walkers also enjoy lowland heathlands, especially those near urban areas such as Chobham Common in Surrey. These rare heaths are home to many rare bird species, like Dartford warblers, which could also see their nests disturbed once humans begin to emerge again in larger numbers. People who are enthralled by wildlife venturing into new areas during lockdown will need to carefully manage their return to the outdoors once restrictions are lifted.

Though some species may face challenges in now silent towns and cities, those species that live alongside us do so because they are so adaptable. They will find new sources of food, and will exploit new opportunities created in our absence. Hopefully this time will allow people to appreciate their local environments more, and find new ways to nurture them once all this is over.


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for urban wildlife

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:-0 \O


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for urban wildlife

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:yes: ^Q^


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for urban wildlife

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Nice article :-)


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for urban wildlife

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Where the wild things are: how nature might respond as coronavirus keeps humans indoors

April 8, 2020

Intriguing things sometimes happen in places deserted by people. Plants creep back, animals return and, slowly, birdsong fills the air.

The coronavirus pandemic means public spaces the world over have been temporarily abandoned. Major roads are all but empty and public squares are eerily quiet.

In response, nature is in some cases “taking over towns”. Some reports – such as dolphins spotted in Venice – are fake news. But others are legitimate.

A puma has been spotted roaming the streets of Santiago and wild turkeys are gallivanting in Oakland, California. Monkeys have reclaimed city streets in Thailand and deer are wandering through train stations and down roads in Japan.

Of course, COVID-19 has taken a devastating toll on humanity, and this is nothing to be celebrated. But as Australians stay at home and our streets fall quiet, let’s consider how wildlife might respond.

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Animals the world over are creeping back into cities deserted due to COVID-19. SOHAIL SHAHZAD/EPA

The resilience of nature

Throughout history, nature has shown a propensity for reclaiming land once humans have departed.

At Chernobyl, for instance, radiation has not been enough to suppress populations of gray wolves, raccoon dogs, Eurasian boar and red fox.

Likewise the Korean demilitarised zone has become a refugia for numerous threatened species, including red-crowned cranes.

Ecological succession can occur when humans abandon cities. This is where short-lived “pioneer” species initially occupy sites and are replaced over time by shrubs and trees, ultimately supporting more diverse wildlife.

It’s hard to predict exactly how healthy and biodiverse these systems can become, but they will almost certainly be examples of “novel ecosystems”, having crossed irreversible thresholds due to human impact, such as vegetation reclaiming an abandoned building.

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A butterfly on a floor in front of visitors in protective shoes at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 2018. SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA

Quieter, darker, greener cities

Cities can be hostile places for urban wildlife due to fragmented habitat, pollution, road collisions and disturbance from and conflict with people. But under a coronavirus lockdown, these threats are greatly reduced.

For example, decreases in economic activity in Europe and China have led to improvements in air pollution, which is known to badly affect urban birds. However, this effect might not last long enough to allow for recovery of sensitive bird species; emissions in China are already rising again.

Light pollution may also fall in cities as a result of coronavirus – such as if office buildings turn off overnight lighting and sportsgrounds are empty.

This would benefit nocturnal species such as moths and bats. Artificial light can interfere with reproduction, predator and prey interactions, and migration.

At the end of March, traffic congestion in Sydney and Melbourne was reportedly down more than 30% on last year. Fewer cars and trams would benefit species that communicate acoustically (such as frogs and birds).

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Empty roads near Circular Quay in Sydney on March 27 this year. JAMES GOURLEY/AAP

Fewer people actively using city spaces may mean less disturbance of urban bird nesting sites, especially those that are routinely removed from commercial properties.

Depending on whether authorities see weed control as an “essential service”, streets may soon look a bit greener.

Weeds often get a bad rap for taking over gardens and roadsides. However, some, such as dandelions, provide excellent flowering resources for native bees, butterflies and birds.

Deserted roads could potentially add to existing wildlife “corridors” or strips of vegetation along rivers and streams. This would allow species to move from one place to another – potentially recolonising areas.

What next?

Once traffic returns to levels observed before the pandemic, we should preserve observed animal movements using safe passage strategies such as vegetated overpasses that connect bisected habitat or adequately sized underpasses to allow wildlife to safely cross under large, busy roads.

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Nature can reclaim places that have been totally abandoned for years, creating novel ecosystems. Pixabay, CC BY

In the longer term, this crisis may bring innovation in business communication and human behavioural change – including reduced work travel. This could influence land-use changes in cities, potentially giving space back to nature.

The current need for people to stay at home might be triggering a human disconnection from nature. In some cases, this can lead people to become emotionally distanced from what happens to their natural environment. This could be ameliorated by exercising in local parks or other natural environments.

You can also use your time at home to positively contribute to wildlife in your urban area. If you’re looking to keep kids entertained, try developing a “renaturing” plan that aims to care for, or bring back, a species or ecosystems.

There are also many ways to retrofit your home, garden or balcony to help plants and animals.

Or discover the incredible species living alongside us by simply paying attention to nature near your home.


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

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Nature’s comeback? No, the coronavirus pandemic threatens the world’s wildlife

April 14, 2020 | Charlie Gardner, Lecturer in Conservation Science, University of Kent

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. We’ve seen fish-eating birds return to the clear waters of Venice, wild boar roaming the streets of Bergamo, and of course the feral mountain goats of Llandudno.

In Britain, wildlife seems set for a bountiful spring and summer. Fewer cars on the road mean less roadkill, and many birds and voles will be spared as owners decide to keep their cats indoors. In towns and cities, wildflowers will surely flourish as councils realise that mowing their parks and verges is somewhat less than essential. Nature, it seems, is making a comeback.

Unfortunately, this is but a partial picture and one that is limited to the minority world of industrialized nations. Most of the world’s biodiversity is found in the low-income countries and emerging economies of the Global South, and in such places, the economic impacts of the pandemic are likely to be devastating for the natural world.

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Madagascar’s forests are home to lemurs – and lots of resources that humans could easily exploit. Louise Jasper, Author provided (No reuse)

The difference lies in how people respond to the economic shock of losing their livelihood. Social safety nets are a widespread feature of many industrialised economies, keeping the poor and vulnerable from destitution, and the importance of the welfare state has never been more obvious than during the pandemic. In the UK, for example, the government’s furlough scheme guarantees that people unable to work will receive 80% of their income. But citizens of many low-income countries simply don’t have such back-up from their governments, leaving them incredibly vulnerable. For many, the forest and the ocean will provide their safety net.

Exploiting natural resources is often the only option for the destitute. Wild animals, fish and forest trees are rarely owned by anyone, and they are found in rural areas where policing is difficult. What’s more, there are often few technical barriers to exploiting them – you don’t need a degree to be able to wield an axe. So, when people are left with nothing, they can always find something to eat or sell in the forest.

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Slash-and-burn agriculture is often the only way poor people in Madagascar can earn any income. Louise Jasper, Author provided (No reuse)

I saw this first hand in a decade spent living in Madagascar, which is rich in lemurs and other unique creatures, but is also one of the world’s poorest nations. My research has shown that when Malagasy people lose their source of income due to climate change-induced natural disasters, they often turn to natural resources to make ends meet. Farmers suffering from drought may head to the forest to produce charcoal, or to practice “slash-and-burn” agriculture. Others head to the coast to fish, but lacking the necessary skills and equipment, they rely on destructive techniques like poison fishing. The impacts can be devastating for biodiversity.

Of course the coronavirus pandemic is an even greater threat to livelihoods than climate change, at least in the short term. Following the last financial crisis, in 2008, unemployed workers in Cameroon turned to poaching and deforestation in a desperate attempt to maintain their income, and a similar story will now be unfolding worldwide.

In India, millions of migrant workers have lost their jobs in cities and returned to their family villages, a mass movement of people not seen since partition in 1947. A similar thing is happening in Madagascar too, as it is throughout Africa and probably much of the tropics. Nobody knows what impacts this unprecedented rural exodus will have, but it is clear that many more people will be finding themselves poorer, hungrier, and much closer to exploitable wildlife than they were a few weeks ago.

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Toliara, Madagascar. In the pandemic, millions of people are fleeing tropical cities for the countryside. Louise Jasper, Author provided (No reuse)

At the same time, the surveillance and management of our precious wild places is considerably weakened. Governments are understandably preoccupied with public health, so there is less law enforcement in rural areas. Meanwhile, the shutdown of global tourism has pulled the financial rug out from thousands of protected areas, leaving them without an operational budget for anti-poaching surveillance and other activities.

Worse still, a long-term drop in tourism revenues may radically change the incentives for people living close to wildlife. Millions of people coexist with animals around the edges of African parks and reserves, but it is not always harmonious. Wild animals can – and often do – raid crops, attack livestock, and even kill people. Revenues from tourism can offset some of the costs local people pay and provide an incentive for conservation, but this fragile coexistence may not last if visitors stay away.

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.


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

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Not particularly wildlife, but still animals...

Horror as German zoos admit they will SLAUGHTER beloved animals over lost income

A ZOO in Germany has warned it will be forced to slaughter animals - and even feed some of them to others - in order to survive as it reels from the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.
By Ciaran McGrath
PUBLISHED: 09:55, Wed, Apr 15, 2020 | UPDATED: 15:34, Wed, Apr 15, 2020


Verena Kaspari, director of Neumünster Zoo in northern Germany, said she had already drawn up a list of animals which will need to be killed first - with polar bear Vitus apparently in the firing line. Zoos across the world are struggling in the face of the lockdown, because they rely on the money provided by visitors to look after their animals - and with no clear indication of when they can reopen, the future is bleak. Ms Kaspari said: "If it comes to it, I'll have to euthanise animals, rather than let them starve.

She added: "We've listed the animals we'll have to slaughter first,", admitting taking the final decision to go ahead would be "unpleasant".
As a result of being unable to have visitors throughout Spring, Ms Kaspari estimated the Zoo could lose as much as €175,000 (£152,400) in income.

This money was needed to provide food, especially for larger animals - penguins and seals for example consume huge quantities of fish daily, while Vitus the polar bear will be on a diet consisting of fish, lard and a wide selection of fruits and vegetables.

In normal times, if a zoo is struggling to feed one of its animals, it would be relocated elsewhere - but with the worldwide lockdown in place, this is not option with Neumünster Zoo losing out on its traditional Easter weekend windfall. Additionally, animals such as three-and-a-half metres long-Vitus are too big to move in any case. Neumünster Zoo is not entitled to any money from the country's emergency fund for small business because it belongs to an association which does not is not covered by the category.

Zoos across the country are appealing for public donations, as well as asking the Government for a €100 million-cash injection towards the cost of caring for the animals. Jörg Junhold, who heads up Germany's national zoo association (VdZ), suggests the average zoo may be losing up to half a million Euros a week. Berlin Zoo, which is also closed, has recently welcomed the arrival of two baby pandas, Meng Xian and Meng Yuan. Spokeswoman Philine Hachmeister said it would be a shame if people were to miss them growing up. Additionally, animals rely on zookeepers to look after them - meaning if the zookeepers fall ill with COVID-19, this could have dire implications. Schwerins Zoo Director Tim Schikora said: "It would also be much more problematic for the animals if their keepers fall ill."

London Zoo in Regents Park is likewise struggling in the face of the pandemic. There is no suggestion any animals are likely to be slaughtered - although a appeal published on its website states: "COVID-19 has had a huge impact on everyone, and it is with a heavy heart that we’ve had to close ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos’ doors to the public for the duration of the crisis. "But inside the zoos, life goes on, as our dedicated keepers and vets feed and care for our more than 20,000 animals.

"This costs many thousands of pounds every day, so we really do need your help. "If you can, please support us with a donation – no matter how big or small, it will help us weather the storm, and you’ll be a part of our success story when we are ready to open our doors again."


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

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What else can they do -O- I do not think that they have money reserves to speak of and to expect help from the state, which already has to give billions to people and businesses........


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

Post by Mel »

I know, but it's still sad :-(


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Re: Coronavirus: what the lockdown could mean for wildlife

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Of course it is sad :-(


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