Animals are like us – they don’t like a lot of noise and traffic. When cities and roads became quiet during lockdowns, some wild animals started behaving differently.
Scientists studied how animals moved around using special tracking collars. They found that in places with strict lockdowns, animals moved around more and even ventured closer to roads because they were quieter. This means animals felt safer when there were fewer people around.
The study wasn’t able to show this for all animals though. In some places where people were still encouraged to go outside, animals actually moved around less. This suggests that some animals are even scared of people walking in nature!
Overall, this study shows that wild animals can adjust their behavior based on how humans behave. This is good news because it means if we find ways to be quieter and less disruptive, it could help animals.
Scientists wanted to see if animals behaved differently during lockdowns when there were less people around. They tracked animals like bears, mountain lions, and deer using special collars that showed where they went.
In places where people stayed home the most, animals moved around a lot more! They even ventured closer to roads, probably because they were quieter. This suggests animals felt safer with fewer people around.
But it wasn’t the same everywhere. In places where people still went outside a lot, animals actually moved around less. It seems some animals are even scared of people walking in nature!
Overall, this study shows that wild animals can change their behavior depending on how humans act. This is good news because it means if we’re quieter and less disruptive, it could help animals! The challenge now is finding ways to be calm around animals without lockdowns or staying home all the time.
