word on the street

With humans in lockdown, it has been a wild time to be in the city, writes MARTYN ROBINSON

What has happened in the natural world during these months of social isolation? There are reports of cleaner air and water, but most fascinating are the sightings of wild animals in urban areas where they haven’t been seen for years. Does this mean animals are reclaiming lost ground? Probably not. It’s just that we’ve noticed them more, because they’re moving around more freely. An example was the kangaroo hopping through the deserted streets of Adelaide’s CBD, without risk of being hit by traffic. Normally, kangaroos would avoid city areas and be most active at dawn and dusk when fewer people are about.

If our home isolation was to continue for a long time, we’d find species that remain in one area, such as koalas, would be able to explore more widely and easily, and reach places they had abandoned because of human activity. And they’d be able to reach those places safely. The lesson is that while reduced traffic saves human lives, it also saves wildlife.

In suburban gardens, we’ve noticed more lizards and snakes, but they didn’t just suddenly show up. They were there all along, hastily hiding when people or pets appeared. With isolation, we started to spend more time in the garden, so we noticed these creatures more, and they, in turn, became used to seeing us and learnt that we posed no threat. Also, food for wildlife was scarce in summer but not during our autumn lockdown. Many animals had to fatten up before winter, so this may have made them bolder through desperation. At the same time, with us at home, our pets have spent more time indoors, and less time outside deterring wildlife such as birds and frogs.

Sadly, as busy human activity ramps up, it’s likely the wildlife road toll will rise. But for the animals in our gardens, we’ll continue to lay out the welcome mat and move cautiously, so as not to scare them back into seclusion.