How Covid affected animals
From mountain goats trotting through the Welsh town of Llandudno to jackals venturing into parks in Israel, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted many animals to change their behaviour. It seemed as though, while humans had to stay at home, animals were thriving. However, a new study has revealed a more complex picture.
Scientists looked at images from more than 5,000 camera traps (cameras that automatically photograph animals when their movement or body heat is detected) around the world. They used them to study the activity of 163 mammal species both before and during the Covid-19 lockdowns. This showed how animals responded to changes in human activity. Overall, the activity of carnivores (meateating animals) such as wolves and bobcats was higher when humans weren’t around. However, the activity of larger herbivores (animals that eat plants), such as deer and moose, was lower in the absence of people. The team suggests that this could be because wild carnivores are in greater danger from people, who kill them to protect their animals. Herbivores might find that having humans around protects them from predators.
Animals living in built-up areas, such as towns and cities, were less active when there were fewer humans around. The animals also became more nocturnal (stayed awake at night and then slept during the day). In the countryside, where animals are probably less used to humans, animal activity was higher when people weren’t around.
Researchers say that studies like this can be used to protect animals. Dr Kaitlyn Gaynor, who worked on the study, said it showed that doing things like closing campsites or hiking trails in the countryside for part of the year could help to limit the amount of disturbance to animals. These species might need quiet times during the breeding season or when they migrate.