Recently, during the era of Covid-19, researchers brought the term ‘anthropause’ to light. The word was crafted to describe the lockdown period that was induced globally due to the pandemic. The term ‘anthropo-’ is a shorter version of the prefix ‘human’, combined with ‘pause’, thus perfectly encapsulating this period of reduced human activity.
The Anthropause, often referred to as the ‘Great Pause’, embodies the significant global slowdown in the scope of modern human activities, most notably travel. It is a fitting term for this peculiar phase where life as we knew it was put on pause.
Observing the Impact of Anthropause on Nature
As the lockdown ensued, there were many changes observed, particularly in urban environments. The restrictions imposed led to reports of unusual animal behaviour and increased sightings of unexpected animals. For instance, pumas were spotted in downtown Santiago, Chile, and dolphins were seen in unusually calm waters in the harbour of Trieste, Italy. Even jackals made a rare appearance in broad daylight in urban parks in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In contrast, unseen by the human eye, animals might have also started to wander more freely throughout the world’s oceans, thanks to the reductions in vessel traffic and noise pollution levels.
The Struggles of Urban-Dwelling Animals in Anthropause
It’s important to note, however, that not all species experienced benefits from the lockdown. For some urban-dwelling animals such as rats, gulls, and monkeys; the anthropause proved to be a challenging time. These creatures are heavily dependent on the food provided or discarded by humans, and the sudden changes may have left them grappling for sustenance.
Significance of Studying Anthropause
Studying the anthropause period offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into the correlation between human and wildlife interactions in the contemporary world. As the human population continues to expand and transform their environments at an unprecedented rate, understanding these interactions becomes crucial.
The observation of human and animal behaviour during this period provides invaluable knowledge that can aid in preserving global biodiversity, maintaining ecosystem integrity, and predicting zoonoses as well as potential environmental transformations. Notably, the reduction in human activity on both land and sea has been unparalleled in recent history, rendering this study even more significant.
Forging a Way Forward
The whole scenario presented by the pandemic provides an opportunity to paint a comprehensive portrait of animal responses by combining large amounts of data sets. Such collaborative projects can bring together spatial and temporal approaches, thus unravelling potential causal relationships. This comprehensive approach can significantly contribute towards understanding the impact of human behaviour on wildlife during a period of reduced human activities.
