Animals have taken over the streets during the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown. Morning commutes have changed during the human absence in recent weeks. The roads have, for the most part, been devoid of vehicles. But the interesting thing is that animals that once stayed away from humans are now finding their boundaries removed, and are themselves taking to the empty roads.

South Australia Police Tweet

The South Australia Police Twitter and Facebook accounts yesterday posted a short video of a kangaroo hopping its way down a roadway. The street is in the town of Adelaide.

The tweet said,

“Protective Security Officers tracked a suspect wearing a grey fur coat hopping through the heart of the #adelaide CBD this morning. He was last seen on foot heading into the West Parklands.”

Not the first time

This is not the first time animals have been spotted on what would normally be busy roadways. As the world has responded to the global pandemic, regional municipalities have instructed residents to shelter in place, or lockdown, for quarantine periods that are appropriate for their area. As a consequence, animals that typically stayed on the outskirts of busy areas have become braver and moved through the roadways, the yards, and even into canals in towns. 

Goats, deer, boar, peacocks, etc.

Here is a video of goats wandering through Llandudno, north Wales. The goats can be seen herding through the town, as well as eating shrubbery in people’s yards. 

In a neighborhood in London called Harold Hill, deer chose to nap beside the roadway, and in people’s lawns.

In Calgary, Canada, a herd of deer and even a moose walked down quiet neighborhood streets that once bustled with traffic. Residents took to social media to post their pictures and videos of the animals. The people of the town were clearly fascinated with the users of the roadway. No word yet if the government will be charging roadway usage taxes to the cute freeloading animals. 

In this video, fish and dolphins can be seen exploring Italy’s canals and ports, replacing ferries. The video also shows that wild boars also have made appearances on the roads.

This video shows deer roaming in Japan, as well as a puma that was spotted using a sidewalk in Santiago, Chile. The puma quickly took evasive action over a wall when people tried to film it, you know, like cats do. The video goes on to show monkeys on the streets in Thailand, and wild turkeys strolling down the road.

Reports can be found throughout the world. This video, with reports in different languages, documents peacocks in the streets of the United Arab Emirates, and geese crossing the airport tarmacs in Tel Aviv. 

I was recently invited to attend a high school musical presentation of the Wizard of Oz. There is a line from one of the songs that is familiar to many people, “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” When I look at these videos and read reports of the animals venturing through towns, the song starts playing in my mind, and I chuckle.

It’s neat to see the animals going through yards and across roads during our quarantine time. But, one word of caution, admire from a distance. Do not approach wild animals.