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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsAnimals Invade Cities As People Quarantine Themselves At Home
As we've seen already, animals seem to be pouring into the city streets as people retreat to their shelters amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. And while at first it was only deer, boars, horses, and sheep taking over the civilized world, now it seems like countless others have joined the cause all around the world. And this time, even dangerous predators like bears, mountain lions, and wild pumas are prowling in the streets.
We reached out to one man who witnessed a gator casually strolling in Myrtle Beach in broad daylight to get a first-hand report of the events. "When I first saw the gator, I didnt think it was real. I thought somebody was playing a practical joke on me," Clifford Sosis told Bored Panda. "I like to take dangerous hikes in interesting places with my dog Daisy, hikes where I might be bitten by snakes and gators," the man explained and also added that recently, his expeditions have grown fewer and fewer since the birth of his son.
Clifford is a philosophy lecturer at Coastal Carolina University who runs a website featuring autobiographical interviews with philosophers.
"On the day I took the gator video, I went to Barefoot Landing because I was trying to avoid danger! Shortly after I took this video, I was watching the gator, and a security guard, the only other person in Barefoot Landing at the time, didnt see it and almost ran into it," Sosis revealed. "When I told him to watch his step, he was shocked! He said he thought there were no longer gators in the area." The man also added that some people on the internet have reported seeing gators in the area as well. "Ive been living in Myrtle Beach for 6 years and Ive never seen a gator in Barefoot Landing. Definitely not in the parking lot!" Sosis concluded.
People are in the zoo and animals are having fun roaming wild and free for a change. Mother Nature sure has a sense of irony and knows how to turn the tables on us.
More photos and videos at above link
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,267 posts)describing what would happen if all the people in the world disappeared. The buildings would gradually deteriorate, and the ones that were left would become habitats for animals. The coolest prediction was that cats who occupied high-rise buildings would evolve to be able to glide like flying squirrels. All the animals in empty streets kind of remind me of this program.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Or, as the animals will call it, "The Great Blessing."
Coventina
(26,844 posts)There's a lot of people on DU that really think humans deserve special treatment.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)I know we've been raised to believe that only humans matter. Sometimes we are punished for that belief (e.g. COVID-19). Usually our fellow travelers are the ones being punished.
Coventina
(26,844 posts)I guess it goes back to the magical thinking that humans are the image of god, and animals exist only for our pleasure.
Ugh.
Fla Dem
(23,339 posts)These pics actually could be scenes from some movies.
Chainfire
(17,304 posts)Thanks!
The animals have also invaded Washington, but they are not cute, warm and fuzzy.
IronLionZion
(45,250 posts)hoping there will be improvement this November but we'll see
Coventina
(26,844 posts)Dem2theMax
(9,594 posts)I love seeing the animals get to go back to doing what they did before we were here. They were here first. I am so happy to see the planet getting a chance to heal a bit. We humans have screwed it up for so long.
I saw on the local news this evening that Safari Park, formerly known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park, is having problems with mountain lions. They have actually attacked gazelles in the wild animal park. They are showing no fear and much interest in all this wild game running around in very open areas of the Wild Animal Park.
Park employees are making changes to protect the wild animals, while trying to keep the mountain lions away without hurting them.
I live in the same kind of rural area as the wild animal park. And I normally think nothing of taking a walk at 8 or 9 p.m. That is stopping immediately. The only thing I've ever been afraid of running into late at night is a skunk. Now? I'm going to stay in. I'll take my walks during daytime. At least then I can see what's out besides me!