How does COVID-19 affect Wildlife Conservation?

How does COVID-19 affect Wildlife Conservation?

How does COVID 19 affect Wildlife Conservation? This pandemic has affected several continents, and everyone seems to be at its mercies. It’s sad to see people lose lives, property, jobs, among others. It’s crippling the economy and results to be a pandemic pushing us to a very difficult corner.

No money, No tourism

Apart from the duty to observe social distancing, not many can be able to risk what they have for a quick visit to the national parks. This is a moment where everyone is only concentrating on the basics, and how to survive this pandemic.

We have families that fully depend on funds obtained through tourism activities, from offering tour guide services, selling curios, getting help from NGOs in the conservation field, etc. With whatever is happening around the world, this is becoming almost impossible for these families.

What will happen to them? How will they support their livelihoods? Were they lucky enough not to contaminate the virus before the borders started to be closed? Is there any plan for them by any organization out there?

They are so many unanswered questions.

What about wildlife? Most of the wildlife rescue and treatment is mainly done by these NGOs. And they have been contributing towards wildlife welfare in a great way, especially for the endangered species. Through the funds, they have been able to support both the wildlife and local communities in those areas.

I am afraid of what will happen to them once the funds stop coming through. And borders continue to be closed. Our wildlife that may need medication attention may be in a difficult place.

Lucky Apart from Primates, most wildlife are safe from this Virus.

So far, only a few of the primates have been noted to be vulnerable to the coronavirus. Hence making the other wildlife safe from any infections through interactions with infected humans.

Being a zoonic disease, this was prone to happen since the disease was from animals to humans.

The wildlife is also having a good away from humans for once. Most tourists ain’t visiting the conservation areas as before hence human traffic has extremely reduced. Our wildlife can now enjoy reduced interference and be wild freely. With this, it will not be a surprise for their population to increase, as well as for increased vegetation growth.

With everything we are currently going through, it will be healing being abe to visit healthy nature parks.

Conclusion

Don’t cancel the dates for your safaris, game drives, hikes, etc, but rather postpone. If you can manage to keep supporting the genuine NGOs fighting for wildlife and local communities’ welfare, please do so.

We are in this together, and together we will get through it safely.

Wildlife and environment need you to be their voice and caretakers, please corporate.

Dispose of the gloves, masks, sanitizers’ bottles and any the packagings correctly. Let’s not create more problems for mother nature as we fight this pandemic.

Let this pandemic be our turning point when it comes to any kind of live wildlife trade, no life has a price tag on it.

Our pockets will have less cash, slow developments, but we will eventually survive. Mother nature needs that even after this pandemic. Whatever that can be considered and done at a slower pace to avoid global warming lets embrace that option. We no longer have the luxury to allow us time for more developments so as to lower our emissions.

We are one, and that’s why the coronavirus only started in one place and gradually moving to other places. Showing us how deeply connected we are. We need each other in saving our only planet. and it needs our collective efforts.

Stay safe and have hope.