As humans worldwide remain under partial or total lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, animals have found a new freedom in roaming the streets and playing in the wilderness.
Read the latest coronavirus updates in our dedicated section.
Al Arabiya English has rounded up videos from around the world showing animals living their best lives while humans are “locked away.”
Hundreds of sheep stroll through Turkey streets
Hundreds of sheep took advantage of the coronavirus lockdown in the Turkish city of Samsun on Sunday to stroll and graze through the deserted streets.
Video posted online showed a huge flock following a shepherd through empty city streets, some briefly stopping to graze on grass on pavements.
Watch: Hundreds of sheep took advantage of the #coronavirus lockdown in the Turkish city of Samsun to stroll and graze through the deserted streets.#Turkey #COVID_19https://t.co/OfqNmT0oNd pic.twitter.com/Wa1Nd6wFKs
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) May 5, 2020
Dolphins come out to play off Thai island
Rangers from the Similan Islands National Park in southern Thailand filmed a rare encounter with a school of bottlenose dolphins, which scientists say are becoming bolder in the absence of tourists during the coronavirus pandemic.
The footage, filmed on April 28 while the rangers were headed to shore from the Similan Islands, shows over 50 bottlenose dolphins swimming close to the boat in calm waters.
Rangers from the Similan Islands National Park in southern Thailand filmed a rare encounter with a school of bottlenose dolphins, which scientists say are becoming bolder in the absence of tourists during the coronavirus pandemic. pic.twitter.com/8XPuPBHdFS
— ANews (@anewscomtr) May 3, 2020
Kangaroo enjoys Adelaide streets during lockdown
South Australia Police released a video on social media showing a kangaroo hopping around empty streets during the lockdown in Adelaide.
Protective Security Officers tracked a suspect wearing a grey fur coat hopping through the heart of the #adelaide CBD this morning. He was last seen on foot heading into the West Parklands 🦘🚔👮#animaltakeover #whatsthatskip #kangaroo #cityslicker pic.twitter.com/JPyVXIYQRw
— South Australia Police (@SAPoliceNews) April 19, 2020
Sea lions laze around commercial areas at Argentina airport
As locals lock up at home over the COVID-19 pandemic, sea lions have taken over empty streets near Argentina's seaside port Mar del Plata.
#Sealions take over commercial centre in the absence of humans due to #COVID19#Argentina pic.twitter.com/1jnKkWNSnZ
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) April 16, 2020
Deer roam free in locked-down London suburb
As Britain ploughs through a second week of coronavirus lockdown, one east London suburb has found cheer in visits by a herd of friendly deer.
The woodland visitors have been making occasional trips into Romford for decades, locals said, though thanks to the lockdown more residents have had a chance to enjoy them.
“My little girl thinks that Santa has sent the reindeers because we're all locked down so that he can keep an eye on everyone and make sure everyone's safe,” said Christina Ellis, who had moved into the neighborhood just as the lockdown came into effect.
While the deer sightings are not being linked by locals to the lockdown itself, there have been other unusual animal sightings across the UK, including a herd of wild mountain goats roaming around a Welsh town where the lockdown had left streets otherwise deserted.
A herd of deer roam through a suburb in London pic.twitter.com/cOsYItTavQ
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 7, 2020
Deer wander around Paris as restrictions empty streets
An unusual scene near Paris as two deer wander around Boissy-Saint-Leger on the 27th day of a strict lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
🗣 The streets of Paris are so secluded that deer walking on the streets....👌👌👌😍 😍 pic.twitter.com/k3hPHTgAcM
— Max (@maxmaxx1965) April 14, 2020
Flamingos flourish amid quiet of Albania’s virus lockdown
With people home, boats docked and factories silenced under a coronavirus lockdown, Albania's pink flamingos and curly pelicans are enjoying a newfound tranquility in lagoons on the country's western coastline. North of the Bay of Vlore, some 3,000 pink flamingos have recently been spotted frolicking in the salt water, an increase from the 2,000 seen in January. Conservationists also hope the quiet will be a boon to the "near threatened" Dalmatian pelicans who are nesting nearby in a lagoon in Divjaka national park.
VIDEO From Albania to India, flamingos flourish in virus lockdown pic.twitter.com/ALavvXfMqQ
— AFP news agency (@AFP) April 23, 2020
Paws patrol the streets of the Cypriot capital in lockdown
Some 1,700 years after the legend of Roman Empress Helena shipping cats over to Cyprus to curve the population of poisonous snakes, animal lovers are sacrificing their only daily outing from coronavirus isolation to care for Nicosia’s abundant stray cat population as restaurants remain closed.
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