Protecting nature vital in preventing next pandemic

More wildlife-human contact due to man's activities may lead to spillover of diseases

Sea lions making themselves comfortable near the Mar del Plata harbour in Argentina last April during a Covid-19 lockdown, as the absence of people on the streets emboldened animals worldwide to infiltrate the urban landscape. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A boy watching as a wild boar family roamed a neighbourhood of Haifa in Israel last April when people stayed home amid Covid-19 restrictions. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
An alligator that fell victim as wildfires raged last September in Brazil, exacerbated by a historic drought. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Smoke rising from an illegally lit fire in August last year in Brazil. The record number of wildfires in the nation last year is a blow to biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest, which also saw more illicit logging and mining as monitoring and enforcement efforts were cut back because of Covid-19. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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As people stayed home amid the global Covid-19 lockdowns early last year, the streets and town centres became play areas and hunting grounds for droves of animals.

In March, a gang of Kashmiri goats ventured into a Welsh town, hopping over brick walls and nibbling at hedges.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 11, 2021, with the headline Protecting nature vital in preventing next pandemic. Subscribe