APR 18 WILDLIFE MAKES A COMEBACK DURING QUARANTINE

APR 18  WILDLIFE MAKES A COMEBACK DURING QUARANTINE

The numerous 'shelter in place' mandates worldwide due to COVID19 have created silent cities and tranquil towns. Shocking images of a deserted Times Square and a car-less LA freeways are not being photo-shopped! All this peace and quiet has resulted in an unexpected scenario. Wild animals are reclaiming their turf! Let's check out five stunning instances:

Coyotes in San Francisco. The dry chaparral that once covered coastal California isn't hospitable to much wildlife. Atop this small food chain is the crafty coyote. Over the last fifty years, suburban sprawl has forced them to live in open land reserves, regional parks and drainage gullies. Yet they continue to survive. Californians...who already know to lock up those pets at night...take note: Coyotes were spotted at the corner of Greenwich and Powell Streets.

Bears in Yosemite. Duh! There's tons of bears in Yosemite. Anyone who has ever camped in the valley knows that it is imperative to place all food in a lock box. Bears have a spectacular sense of smell and they comb campsites day and night. Boy, the bears must be confused these days! Last April, 308,000 people visited the park. This April, the number is zero. Always curious, they are investigating the empty valley. "They are literally walking down the streets" quipped a ranger. "They are having a bear party!"

Deer in Nara. According to Shinto tradition, animals are given ample land in Japan and are never hunted. This has resulted in large deer populations. In the popular medieval capital, Sika deer roam the forests that surround the famed Nara castle. Over time, they have become semi-domesticated, as they are fed rice cakes by the tourists. With the city on lockdown, the hungry deer have ventured past the park and into the city. They're not just foraging in the streets, Sika deer have been spotted in the subway!

Wild Goats in Wales. Of all the urban-animal photos we examined, the one that generated the most questions came from Llandndno, a Welsh town. It shows a herd of enormous Great Orme Kashmiri goats owning the streets. Why are their wild goats from India in the mountains of Wales? They are escaped descendants from a gift from Queen Victoria. "They are mischievous" observed Andrew Stuart as the goats ate his hedges and roses.

Dolphins in Venice. If this sounds too fantastic to be true...that's because it's FAKE NEWS. While the pictures of the crystal-blue canals is true, the dolphins are NOT. However, residents were stunned at how quickly their famed waterways changed. Venice is one island in an enormous lagoon, most of which is protected reserves. With the constant cruise ships gone, schools of fish and clusters of crabs are invading a new island in the marshlands.