Unusually-reduced human mobility triggered by Covid-19 pandemic is prompting the wildlife world into behaving unusually: like lions prowling on the streets in Gujarat or dolphins showing up on the harbour of Trisete, Italy.
Now, wildlife biologists will keep a track on their movements, behaviour and stress levels, before, during and after the Coronavirus-induced lockdown with the aid of electronic gadget bio-loggers to be attached on them.
Global wildlife biologists have joined hands to form the “Covid-19 Bio-Logging Initiative” to investigate and integrate results from a wide variety of animals, including fish, birds and mammals, in an attempt to build a global picture of lockdown effects.
In an article published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the biologist noted that in some areas, there not only seem to be more animals than usual, but there are also some surprising visitors like lions have been spotted prowling the streets and dolphins recently showed up in untypically calm waters in the harbour of Trieste, Italy.
“For other species, the pandemic may have created new challenges. For example, some urban-dwelling animals, like gulls, rats or monkeys, may struggle to make ends meet without access to human food.”
The article's lead author, Professor Christian Rutz, a biologist at the University of St Andrews, UK, and President of the International Bio-Logging Society, explained: “All over the world, field biologists have fitted animals with miniature tracking devices. These bio-loggers provide a goldmine of information on animal movement and behaviour, which we can now tap to improve our understanding of human-wildlife interactions, with benefits for all.”
Dr Francesca Cagnacci, Senior Researcher at the Edmund Mach Foundation in Trento, Italy, and Principal Investigator of the Euromammals research network, says: “The international research community responded quickly to our recent call for collaboration, offering over 200 datasets for analysis.”
So, what do the scientists hope to learn? Dr Matthias-Claudio Loretto, a Marie Skodowska-Curie Fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Radolfzell, Germany, explains that it will be possible to address previously intractable questions: “We will be able to investigate if the movements of animals in modern landscapes are predominantly affected by built structures, or by the presence of humans. That is a big deal.”
These insights will in turn inspire innovative proposals for improving human-wildlife coexistence, according to Professor Martin Wikelski, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Radolfzell, Germany.
