How Nature is Recovering During Quarantine
Although being stuck inside is kind of a bummer, there is a bright side to humans staying in their houses for extended periods of time. According to worldwide reports, the earth is thriving now that fewer cars are on the road and fewer factories are spewing chemicals into the air. From natural phenomena to animals making an appearance in their natural habitats, there seems to be an obvious silver lining to the Covid-19 outbreak: Mother Nature is finally able to take a breath of fresh air for the first time in years.
If you’re like us, you’re ready to explore the earth’s fresh new facelift. Our Newverest Scratch-Off Maps are a great way to plan your next international trip or national park getaway. While you’re carefully planning your itinerary, take a look at all of the ways that nature is recovering during the quarantine.
The Himalayas Are Once Again On Display
The air in India is famously polluted. Recently, however, residents of the northern Indian state of Punjab noticed something remarkable in the distance. According to people who live in the area, the Himalayan Mountains — which are located nearly 100 miles away — are once again visible to the naked eye thanks to clearer, cleaner air. Most say that the majestic mountain range hasn’t been visually on display for decades.
Clearer, Cleaner Water Fills Venice Canals
Venice is a breathtaking city built upon a veritable maze of waterways. The city is usually full of tourists traversing the canals in water taxis, boats, and gondolas — but a recent reduction in water traffic has made the notoriously-unclean water in the canals sparkle once again. It’s even clear enough to see aquatic animals like jellyfish peacefully gliding down the boat-free canals. Fish and ducks have also been spotted enjoying a lack of tourists.
Animals Enjoy an Empty Yosemite
The scenery and wildlife in Yosemite are simply unmatched. And now that it’s almost completely devoid of visitors, the animals that call the national park “home” are taking advantage of the serenity. According to park rangers, black bears are coming out of hibernation and searching for food in areas they would typically avoid due to the amount of humans present. Bobcats, wolves, rabbits, coyotes, and squirrels are even becoming more active in recent weeks due to a lack of human visitors to the area.
Lions Relax in the Sun in South Africa
South Africa’s Kruger National Park is one of the most popular wildlife parks in Africa. In recent years, the park has welcomed nearly 1.8 million visitors, most of whom come to see the beautiful animals that live within its borders. Now that humans are staying home due to lockdown and quarantine efforts, African animals are once again reclaiming the wilderness. Because there’s no traffic, lions have been using the roads as a comfortable place to catch up on their cat naps.
Tuscany Enjoys A Resurgence of Truffles
Truffles are a culinary delicacy found in the beautiful, rolling hills of the Tuscany region in Italy. Because most of the country’s restaurants have been shut down due to the outbreak of coronavirus, the demand for the region’s truffles has dropped by nearly 60%. According to truffle experts, this is a blessing in disguise. Because more and more truffles are remaining in the ground this year and CO2 levels in the air have decreased, next year’s crop of truffles will be bigger and better than ever.
Goats In Wales Enjoy Freedom In The Streets
The people in Wales, England are strictly adhering to the shelter-in-place order. But human pedestrians have been replaced by a slightly different type of visitor. Residents in the seaside town of Llandudno have reported that Great Orme Kashmiri goats have wandered into town, taking advantage of the deserted streets and greenspaces. Although “mischievous,” the goats are mostly harmless — and surely provide a great distraction during the quarantine.
Crisp, Clean Air Takes Over New Delhi
The air in India’s capital city of New Delhi is famously cloudy thanks to smog and other pollutants filling the air. Striking images taken on Earth Day now show that this once-bustling city is now crisp and clear. According to studies conducted on the city’s air quality, the amount of poisonous particulate matter in the air averaged 98.6 per cubic meter in 2019. This year, it’s dropped to an astounding 44.18 per cubic meter thanks to decreased pollution during the quarantine.
Pandas Are Keeping Themselves Busy
Le Le and Ying Ying are a couple of Giant Pandas. Despite animal experts encouraging them to make a love connection, these longtime residents of the Ocean Park Zoo in Hong Kong have been quite avoidant of each other. But now that they’ve had some privacy — thanks to the zoo being shut down to the public — it seems like they found a way to keep themselves busy. The pandas have been naturally mating for the first time in almost a decade, and zookeepers are hopeful that this change will result in a baby panda being born very soon.
Peacocks Return To Dubai
During the lockdown, the roads of Dubai have been relatively empty. Beginning in April, there was a new type of “traffic” spotted on the streets. Peacocks have been taking advantage of the most desolate city and seem to be enjoying life without cars or humans getting in their way.
Thai Elephants Are Out Of Work And Return To Wildlife
The millions of unemployed in Thailand due to the coronavirus include elephants dependent on tourists to feed their voracious appetites. With scant numbers of foreign visitors, commercial elephant camps and sanctuaries lack funds for their upkeep and have sent more than 100 of the animals trudging as far as 95 miles back to their homes.
Nature reverting back to normal means that visiting national parks will be even more breathtaking once quarantine is over. While you wait, we recommend using the Newverest Trek Scratcher to plot your course for adventure once it’s safe to roam the great outdoors.
