Published 08:40 IST, April 16th 2020
Tourists gone, Crocodiles sunbathe at Mexico beach resort amid Coronavirus outbreak
A beach in Mexico witnessed crocodiles basking in the sun after almost a decade in the absence of humans. The crocs relaxed at the beach during Covid lockdown
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As the world is tackling the Coronavirus pandemic with lockdowns put in place, reports on wild animals and reptiles coming out from their habitat have surfaced. One such incident was reported in Mexico, as a beach witnessed crocodiles basking in the sun after almost a decade, in the absence of humans. The crocodiles of La Ventanilla in Oaxaca, an ecotourism resort, were seen relaxing on the beach sand along with migratory birds during the coronavirus lockdown.
Beaches in the country have been closed from the beginning of April for tourists to combat the virus spread hence a result of the restrictions was a glimpse of the crocs enjoying the beach. The photos of the crocodiles relaxing at the beach were shared by a Mexican media outlet. La Ventanilla in Oaxaca is home to a lagoon where these reptiles spent most of their time
Other wild animals venture streets
Apart from the crocodiles, many other wild animals were seen venturing the streets. Animals around the world - deers, nilgais, turkeys, and Malabar civet, were seen exploring human colonies including in India, and empty roads which they often avoid due to traffic and perceived threat from the human population. Malabar civet, which is listed as critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, was spotted on the roads of Kozhikode during the lockdown.
Elephants walk the roads in Karnataka
A few days back in the forests of Karnataka, particularly in Kodagu district, elephants were seen walking on the roads happily. Spotted and Sambar deer were also found roaming freely, while Snow Leopards have been sighted in Uttarakhand.
"Wild-life is always happy when the environment becomes quiet, they (wild animals) are roaming not only in their own areas but also outside...in forest fringe areas," Karnataka's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Sanjay Mohan told ''PTI'' on Saturday.
Due to human activity and busy roads otherwise, they never used to venture out, he said. Now, even spotted deer is trying to come out and ''see what all is happening. They (wild animals) are basically free-ranging animals; when they find that their surroundings have become quiet, they tend to come out and explore.
08:40 IST, April 16th 2020