During the lockdown period the world observed radical changes such as a significant decrease in human activity in urban areas. This unique scenario gave scientists the opportunity to study how animals respond to the reduced presence of humans.
Through the use of over 5,400 camera traps distributed in 102 sites in 21 countries, mainly in Europe and North America, and by analyzing the data collected during more than 300,000 days of observationscientists sought to understand changes in animal activity before and during the pandemic.
Contrary to what many might think, the study revealed that not all areas experienced an increase in animal activity during lockdown. Indeed, in some areas, this has decreased. In particular, it has been observed that in habitats altered by humans, animal activity tended to increase with human activityrecording a growth of approximately 25%.
A notable example of this behavior was found in black-tailed deer in an urban park near Vancouver, which became more abundant after the reopening of the park. This trend appears to have been influenced by the presence of pumas, the main predators of deer, which changed their behavior in response to human presence, increasing during the lockdown and decreasing after the reopening of the park.
By the way: do you know what zoo animals were doing during the pandemic?
The study also highlighted how i carnivores are particularly sensitive to variations in human activity. As our presence reduced, these animals increased their activity in urban areas, but became more nocturnal when human activity resumed.
Despite observations of animals in urban areas during the lockdown, scientists concluded that there has not been a global systemic change in animal activity during the pandemic. However, they underline the importance of adopting measures that regulate human activity in specific urban and natural contexts.
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