Research conducted recently uncovered that mammalian movement patterns were significantly affected by COVID-19 lockdowns. The study revealed that in areas under stringent lockdowns, the travel range of animals increased by 73%, and their proximity to roads increased by 36%. This suggests that the fear of human interaction or traffic diminished. These observations underscore the impact of human activity on wildlife and provide valuable insights for future conservation initiatives.
A fresh study suggests that the decline in traffic and human movement due to the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 promptly altered the movement patterns of certain mammals. The study emphasizes how human activities can restrict animal movements and how animals respond when such activities are halted. These findings can aid in future conservation plans, focusing on improving the coexistence of humans and wildlife.
The Anthropause and Its Effect on Wildlife
In the initial phase of the global COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, governments implemented lockdown measures to control the virus’s spread, resulting in a significant drop in human movement and vehicular traffic. The subsequent period, known as the “anthropause,” presented a unique chance to measure the impact of human activity on wildlife behaviors. Roads pose a conservation challenge for numerous species due to habitat reduction, limited population dispersal, and fatal vehicle collisions. However, the understanding of the influence of roads on animal behavior across species and globally is still inadequate.
The Methodology and Data Collection for the Study
Marlee Tucker and her team utilized the natural experiment provided by COVID-19 lockdowns to gather GPS tracking data from 76 studies. The dataset incorporated approximately 2,300 individual mammals from 43 different species worldwide. They examined how these animals modified their behaviors during the first lockdown period in 2020 (February 1 – April 28, 2020), in contrast to the same period in 2019.
The Study’s Results
While there were variations in individual movements and road-avoidance behaviors in response to lockdowns across different species and regions, Tucker’s team identified several uniform effects. They observed that in areas with stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures, animals traveled on average 73% farther during the lockdown period compared to the previous year. This suggests that these animals were exploring more of the environment when vehicle movement was limited. Moreover, the study found that in populated human areas, mammals’ short-distance movements decreased, and individuals traveled 36% closer to roads during lockdowns. This could be attributed to the diminished fear of road traffic or human interaction, resulting in shorter fleeing distances.
Reactions to the Study
In a related commentary, Colleen Cassady St. Clair and Sage Raymond noted, “Tucker and her team provided a detailed answer about some animals’ capacity to utilize human-inhabited areas and expand their habitats when human activity subsides. Their results underscore the environmental impact of vehicle movement, which is often less publicly discussed than the effects of emissions, permanent road infrastructure, and habitat loss.”
Reference: “Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns” 8 June 2023, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abo6499
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