Figures vary but between a quarter and a third of the world’s population is currently under one form of lockdown or another to stem the spread of coronavirus. But what about the animals?
One effect of the lack of personal and business activity around the world is that some cities have been turned into ghost towns, meaning that wild animals have begun to venture into urban spaces.
For example in the city of Kozhikode, India, a Malabar large spotted civet was seeing walking in the road. This critically endangered creature had not been seen since the 1990s! And a wild boar descended from the hills around Barcelona and was seen by the locals foraging around the city. It is as if animals are claiming back their territory, and as this may never happen again, maybe we should just appreciate it. Some of us might even get to enjoy the view out of our widow of animals prowling our streets.
Another effect of the pandemic has been the cancellation or postponement of events that animals would otherwise have had to take part in. For example bullfights have been cancelled in Spain, sparing the lives of at least 120 bulls.
Although bullfighting is pre-Roman, the bullring is thought to date back to the Roman era; when captive Christians were forced to battle against bulls as a sport, and had to defeat them to stay alive. This then developed over the centuries to become an important part of Spanish culture.
Thankfully the pandemic means there is a pause in this atrocious custom, though unfortunately probably not for ever.