Animals Roaming Freely While Humans Are in Lockdown

Source: oddwick / Flickr

6. Deer
> Location where seen: London, United Kingdom

With fewer cars and pedestrians because of social isolation, a herd of deer left the confines of a nearby park to settle on the open spaces and feed on the greenery of a housing estate in east London in early April.

Source: Courtesy of Paolo Careddu / YouTube

7. Dolphins
> Location where seen: Sardinia, Italy

With ferry traffic reduced at the Sardinian port city of Cagliari, dolphins have become frequent visitors to the waters around the island’s capital. Video of a pod of the mammals swimming in Sardinian waters was falsely attributed to the canals of Venice.

Source: vsmithuk / Flickr

8. Elephants
> Location where seen: Chachoengsao, Thailand

In mid-April, a herd of about 50 elephants emerged from the jungle and thundered across a road in Chachoengsao, a province in south-central Thailand, and entered the jungle on the other side of the road. Police blocked off the road to allow the massive animals to pass.

Source: David O'Brien / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

9. Foxes
> Location where seen: Various cities

Foxes have been spotted in many cities all over the world since the pandemic has caused countries to lock down. A red fox was seen on a nearly empty Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland, on April 28, a street usually bustling with shoppers and tourists. The red fox is the only species of the animal found in Ireland.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

10. Gazelles
> Location where seen: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Arabian sand gazelles, one of two species found in the United Arab Emirates, were spotted in urban areas around Dubai. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classifies the animal as vulnerable, numbering between 1,750 to 2,150 mature animals, and says the current population is decreasing.