As coronavirus restrictions empty streets around the world, wildlife roam further into cities

Published Fri, Apr 10 2020 9:03 AM EDT

As people across across the world remain indoors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, animals are taking over the empty streets.

Peacocks stroll the streets of Ronda, Spain; a gang of goats wander around a seaside town in North Wales; a puma climbs down from the Andes Mountains into Santiago, Chile; and coyotes trot around San Francisco.

Human presence would typically keep such wildlife from roaming. But billions of people are inside, socially isolating themselves under the direction of health and government officials. Businesses and restaurants are shuttered and the once bustling streets and tourist havens are silent.

While some animals are curiously wandering or enjoying the quiet, others are going hungry because they’ve become dependent on tourists who feed them treats.

For instance, mobs of macaques in Thailand that are used to getting fed by visitors must now fend for themselves. Many have resorted to brawling in the empty streets in a desperate search for food.

Sika deer in Nara Park, a popular tourist destination in Japan, heavily rely on the thousands of tourists that feed them rice crackers. But the park is now empty and the deer have begun searching around the city for food, at risk of getting hit by cars or swallowing plastic garbage.