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S. Kalita and H. Talukdar
Further, pollution and climate change are indirect influence of humans on the survivability of other organisms. As such, the biodiversity is declining rapidly in the millennium than it has at any other time in the anthropogenic history. Global risk report [63]
states that already 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants are lost and further,
an increment in the biodiversity extinction rate by approximately 1% per year is
expected. Though plethora of environmental policies, conventions, conferences, and
agencies exist for protection and conservation of wildlife and biodiversity; nonetheless, no other factor seemed to have such large-scale benefit to the environment except
COVID-19 quarantine lockdown. Since declare of quarantine measures, tsunami of
articles, pictures and videos regarding the visible impact on wildlife and biodiversity
are out there in the media. Many scientists have also addressed the changes in the
biodiversity due to lockdown [9, 11, 80–83].
Anecdotal reports on the impact of quarantine lockdown on wildlife, ecosystems and biodiversity have been extensively covered by many newspapers, articles
and other electronic media. In the initial days of human confinement, some animals
seemed under the pressure due to sudden disruption in human-animal interaction;
while other species appeared to enjoy the freedom to move around boldly on land
(terrestrial animals), water (aquatic life-forms) and air (birds) with minimised human
interventions. In fact, Wildlife Institute of India launched an app ‘Lockdown Wildlife
Tracker’ for convenient tracking of wildlife movements in human restricted zones and
storing the data in the app for future scientific research, education and conservation
purposes [84]. One more initiative taken during COVID-19 is the Bio-Logging Initiative which involves data collection on changes in animal movement, behaviour and
activity using small electronic devices (bio-loggers) for research study [82]. Another
positive impact has been the return and sightings of wildlife and aquatic organisms
due to improved environmental conditions. Some of the narratives and video clippings include sightings of dolphins in harbour of Trieste, Italy, pumas in Chile, and
successful recruitment of the critically endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles in India.
Other positive impacts of restricted movement of traffic are reduction in killings of
animals on roads and railway tracks, and reduction in risk to animals from traffic
noise levels. However, the lockdown also had negative effects on the environment
such as increase wildlife poaching incidents, food security of animals particularly
urban dwellers at risk, the exploitation of resources such as forests and fishes [85],
and difficulties in the quarantine of plant materials imported or exported for research
purpose, which in turn may threat agricultural biosecurity [86]. Moreover, existence
of baseless fear and lack of scientific knowledge regarding the COVID-19 virus
among the administrative officials or public could pose threat to biodiversity. One
such incident was recently featured on an article by Nature India which revealed
that the administrative officials of Kashmir valley ordered the mass destruction of
female poplar trees to curb further aggravation of COVID-19 related respiratory
illness without any scientific consultation.
The quarantine period actually provided a silver lining as there were sightings and
returning of many wild species of animals which were thought to be lost due to the
human-induced changes in the environment. The COVID-19 lockdown period gives
us a hope that if the quality of air, water and land is maintained by effective strategies
S. Kalita and H. Talukdar
Further, pollution and climate change are indirect influence of humans on the survivability of other organisms. As such, the biodiversity is declining rapidly in the millennium than it has at any other time in the anthropogenic history. Global risk report [63]
states that already 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants are lost and further,
an increment in the biodiversity extinction rate by approximately 1% per year is
expected. Though plethora of environmental policies, conventions, conferences, and
agencies exist for protection and conservation of wildlife and biodiversity; nonetheless, no other factor seemed to have such large-scale benefit to the environment except
COVID-19 quarantine lockdown. Since declare of quarantine measures, tsunami of
articles, pictures and videos regarding the visible impact on wildlife and biodiversity
are out there in the media. Many scientists have also addressed the changes in the
biodiversity due to lockdown [9, 11, 80–83].
Anecdotal reports on the impact of quarantine lockdown on wildlife, ecosystems and biodiversity have been extensively covered by many newspapers, articles
and other electronic media. In the initial days of human confinement, some animals
seemed under the pressure due to sudden disruption in human-animal interaction;
while other species appeared to enjoy the freedom to move around boldly on land
(terrestrial animals), water (aquatic life-forms) and air (birds) with minimised human
interventions. In fact, Wildlife Institute of India launched an app ‘Lockdown Wildlife
Tracker’ for convenient tracking of wildlife movements in human restricted zones and
storing the data in the app for future scientific research, education and conservation
purposes [84]. One more initiative taken during COVID-19 is the Bio-Logging Initiative which involves data collection on changes in animal movement, behaviour and
activity using small electronic devices (bio-loggers) for research study [82]. Another
positive impact has been the return and sightings of wildlife and aquatic organisms
due to improved environmental conditions. Some of the narratives and video clippings include sightings of dolphins in harbour of Trieste, Italy, pumas in Chile, and
successful recruitment of the critically endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles in India.
Other positive impacts of restricted movement of traffic are reduction in killings of
animals on roads and railway tracks, and reduction in risk to animals from traffic
noise levels. However, the lockdown also had negative effects on the environment
such as increase wildlife poaching incidents, food security of animals particularly
urban dwellers at risk, the exploitation of resources such as forests and fishes [85],
and difficulties in the quarantine of plant materials imported or exported for research
purpose, which in turn may threat agricultural biosecurity [86]. Moreover, existence
of baseless fear and lack of scientific knowledge regarding the COVID-19 virus
among the administrative officials or public could pose threat to biodiversity. One
such incident was recently featured on an article by Nature India which revealed
that the administrative officials of Kashmir valley ordered the mass destruction of
female poplar trees to curb further aggravation of COVID-19 related respiratory
illness without any scientific consultation.
The quarantine period actually provided a silver lining as there were sightings and
returning of many wild species of animals which were thought to be lost due to the
human-induced changes in the environment. The COVID-19 lockdown period gives
us a hope that if the quality of air, water and land is maintained by effective strategies