When I saw this brilliant clip about goats roaming an empty street, devoid of cars and people, I cheered for the goats, but then thought what’s going to happen when we’re back to normal with many vehicles clogging and polluting the streets and people milling around. There have been many similar strories of wildlife moving into areas they’ve never dared venture before as a consequence of the Coranavirus lockdown, and they’ll be more.
Of course I want the lockdown to end as soon as it’s safe to do so, but at least the animals who have ventured into pastures new have had a good time. I wonder if after it’s over we’ll be more tolerant and understanding of wildlife wanting to move into what we believe are our spaces. Nature’s creeping back where mankind has resticted it. Maybe once the virus is behind us, we’ll reconsider our ravages of the natural world.
We’ll survive the Coronavirus crisis: but let’s not forget the climate crisis, and our fight to halt the planet’s destruction. Our efforts must go on, and not be pushed aside for another day.
Nick Wastnage 