The lockdown that most nations across the world have imposed on their citizens to curb the spread of the coronavirus has certainly had a rejuvenating impact on the ecosystem.
Air quality in most parts of the world has become better, pollution levels have dipped considerably, and the wildlife is enjoying its rightful place on earth. So, kangaroos are strolling across otherwise busy streets of Australia, the Himalayas are visible from more than 100 miles away because of less pollution, and less boat traffic is making the canals of Venice cleaner.
Here is another such instance where the wildlife and the environment has benefited because of the lockdown and less human intervention.
Thailand has recently found the largest number of nests of rare leatherback turtles on its beaches in the past 20 years!
Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, the director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center said that authorities have found a whopping 11 turtle nests since November last year, which were the highest found in the past two decades. In the past five years, no such nests had been found at all.
“This is a very good sign for us because many areas for spawning have been destroyed by humans,” he told Reuters.
“If we compare to the year before, we didn’t have this many spawn, because turtles have a high risk of getting killed by fishing gear and humans disturbing the beach.”
The number of tourists flocking this beautiful South East Asian city have drastically reduced, thanks to a ban on international flights and government directives urging people to stay indoors.
These leatherback turtles are the largest sea turtles in the world. However, they have been listed as endangered in Thailand. Further, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as vulnerable species globally.
Conventionally, they lay their eggs in quiet and dark areas, which are almost impossible to find when tourists flood the beaches.
Isn’t it beautiful that nature quickly heals itself when humans do not interfere? What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
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