HYDERABAD: At a time when around 3.5 crore people in the State have been told to stay put at home, wildlife can be seen flocking outside their restricted habitat. In the last few days, viral videos from different parts of the country have shown wild animals moving languorously through otherwise crowded street junctions.
Similarly, following the human lockdown, several animals from Amrabad tiger reserve, Kawal wildlife sanctuary and Eturnagaram wildlife sanctuary in Telangana have begun to stray onto the roads more often, claims a Wildlife Department official.
"In the last few days, we have noticed that animals like sambar deer, wild doves and leopards are coming out on the roads in search of food. Earlier, they would rarely come out that too only during night time, but now they are being spotted during the daytime, crossing roads," said M Jogi, District Forest Officer of Nagarkurnool.
Experts claim that the lockdown has also positively impacted the urban wildlife, as both noise and air pollution has done down and traffic is completely gone. The State Wildlife Department officials added that they have installed cameras on roads near three wildlife sanctuaries to monitor animal movements as to construct wildlife corridors in future.
In Nagarkurnool, around 100 cameras have been installed on a stretch of about 40 km from Duruvasula Cheruvu to Rasamalla Baavi to monitor animal movement, said the official. "Once the lockdown is over, we will identify the roads where most wildlife crossings took place and will construct wildlife corridors there for free and undisturbed animal movement," he said.