ANTHROPAUSE

June 28, 2020

Researchers in the UK are set to study the “anthropause”, a term they have coined to refer to the coronavirus-induced lockdown period and its impact on other species.

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  • Researchers have suggested that the lockdown period, which is also being referred to as the “Great Pause”, be referred to with a more precise term. So they have proposed ‘anthropause’ to refer specifically to a considerable global slowing of modern human activities, notably travel.

  • Reduction in human activity during the coronavirus lockdown on both land and sea has been “unparalleled” in recent history. The unprecedented curbs imposed on millions of people around the world, mainly due to restrictions in travel, led to reports of unusual animal behaviour.

  • For instance, there were pumas sighted in Chile’s Santiago, jackals in the parks of Tel Aviv in Israel, dolphins in the waters of Italy and even a monkey fight on the streets of Thailand.

  • The researchers believe studying this period will provide valuable insights into the relationship between human-wildlife interactions in the 21st century.

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