It is said that the East Delhi colony of Mayur Vihar got its name because of the number of peacocks in the area before it became so densely inhabited. A week into the lockdown, the mayur has returned to Mayur Vihar. It’s not just in the capital. With humans out of the picture, animals are coming out to reclaim the streets. A nilgai strutted outside a usually bustling shopping mall in Noida while Chandigarh and Mumbai residents did some deer and dolphin spotting.
A couple of days ago, residents of Kerala’s Meppayur city were amazed to see an Indian civet on the road, that too one obeying traffic rules by using the zebra to cross. There are no forests in the vicinity so many wondered how the animal turned up.
Mohammed Jafer Palot, scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode, said that the Small Indian Civet was normally found in the rural areas of the state where there is tree cover. “It is a nocturnal animal and that is why normally it doesn’t get spotted much. The one captured in the video seems to be unwell going by the way it is walking,” he added.
Even the mammals seemed to be enjoying the clear skies and tranquil shores. Wildlife conservationist Darshan Khatau shot a video of dolphins splashing around Marine Drive waters though experts later said that it wasn’t very unusual as there had been some sightings earlier as well.
Conservation biologist Latika Nath said that it was a heartening sign that pollution levels in the air and water had come down enough for rare birds and animals to be seen in urban habitats. “The water near Marine Drive is cleaner and there is little disturbance because of the boats, which is why we are seeing dolphins near Marine Drive,” she said.
Other parts of the country also reported wildlife action. Four Asian Palm Civets and two sloth bears were spotted close to human habitation near Telangana’s Siddipet. In Kamareddy district, villagers spotted a Rusty-spotted cat cub — one of the smallest wild cat species in the world — in a tree trunk at Bhavanipet village.
In Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor area, residents have seen sloth bears and even the reclusive black panther in the past two-three days. “With no vehicle and human movement too, the wild animals have started coming out of the forest area. Last evening we saw a pair of sloth bears roaming in our area,” said residents of Drummulla.
The lockdown has also been a boon for birders. Bird Count India has launched a lockdown birding challenge. Suhel Quader from the Bengaluru chapter said this was an attempt to document birds in the neighbourhood.
A couple of days ago, residents of Kerala’s Meppayur city were amazed to see an Indian civet on the road, that too one obeying traffic rules by using the zebra to cross. There are no forests in the vicinity so many wondered how the animal turned up.
Mohammed Jafer Palot, scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, Western Ghats Regional Centre, Kozhikode, said that the Small Indian Civet was normally found in the rural areas of the state where there is tree cover. “It is a nocturnal animal and that is why normally it doesn’t get spotted much. The one captured in the video seems to be unwell going by the way it is walking,” he added.
Even the mammals seemed to be enjoying the clear skies and tranquil shores. Wildlife conservationist Darshan Khatau shot a video of dolphins splashing around Marine Drive waters though experts later said that it wasn’t very unusual as there had been some sightings earlier as well.
Conservation biologist Latika Nath said that it was a heartening sign that pollution levels in the air and water had come down enough for rare birds and animals to be seen in urban habitats. “The water near Marine Drive is cleaner and there is little disturbance because of the boats, which is why we are seeing dolphins near Marine Drive,” she said.
Other parts of the country also reported wildlife action. Four Asian Palm Civets and two sloth bears were spotted close to human habitation near Telangana’s Siddipet. In Kamareddy district, villagers spotted a Rusty-spotted cat cub — one of the smallest wild cat species in the world — in a tree trunk at Bhavanipet village.
In Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor area, residents have seen sloth bears and even the reclusive black panther in the past two-three days. “With no vehicle and human movement too, the wild animals have started coming out of the forest area. Last evening we saw a pair of sloth bears roaming in our area,” said residents of Drummulla.
The lockdown has also been a boon for birders. Bird Count India has launched a lockdown birding challenge. Suhel Quader from the Bengaluru chapter said this was an attempt to document birds in the neighbourhood.
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