Animals Taking Over During Coronavirus Outbreak
London (CBS) - The coronavirus pandemic has most of the world staying at home. Animals are taking advantage by slowly clawing their way back into their former habitats.
There's new life for the world's most endangered sea turtle. Leatherback hatchlings are returning to Thailand's empty beaches. It's the largest spawn in nearly 20 years, all thanks to the coronavirus lockdown.
Around the globe, Mother Nature is reclaiming her space. In Lebanon, hundreds of millions of birds migrate through every year. But now, there's something different. Farmers Ezzat Taha says: "We are seeing species of small birds for the first time. I don't know what's happening in nature, but it's a good thing.''
In Kenya, a lion relaxes on a bench in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. A pack of elephants clog a road in southern India, while there is a new king of the urban jungle in Adelaide, South Australia. In northern Italy, one hungry bear was looking for the "bear" necessities.
But not all appreciate the new neighbors. In Haifa, Israel, wild boars got quite boorish exploring abandoned spaces. Resident Eran Shulman said: "During the corona crisis now, it's becoming more and more terrifying because animals, as you know, carrying disease."
But for now, while the humans are away, the animals will stay. Environmental scientists say throughout the world, the reduction in noise and air pollution due to the recent lockdowns have been beneficial for humans and animals.
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