Photos: Animals reclaim the streets during lockdown

From wild boars exploring residential buildings without a care, dolphins at play in the waterways of the Bosporus otherwise crowded by ships and vessels to animals sharing the few scraps available, the coronavirus has upended our way of life but it’s also having a dramatic impact on the animals and birds across the globe as spaces otherwise off bounds to them open up, creating opportunities for urban animal sightings.

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Crows, rats and a stray dog share food left by people on a roadside during the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus in New Delhi on April 22. With fewer cars and people around due to Covid-19 restrictions, the streets present opportunities for spotting rare animal behaviour. (Manvender Vashist / PTI)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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Two dolphins jump into the Bosphorus, experiencing low boat traffic in the natural strait in Istanbul, Turkey on April 19 during a weekend curfew to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Ozan Kose / AFP)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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A racoon walks in an almost deserted Central Park in Manhattan, New York City on April 16. Gone are the softball games, horse-drawn carriages and hordes of tourists. In their place, pronounced birdsong, solitary walks and renewed appreciation for Central Park's beauty during New York's coronavirus lockdown. (Johannes Eisele / AFP)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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Seagulls stand on the ice of the frozen sea in Vaasa, Iceland. The sea off the western coast, has started melting earlier than usual this year-- another sign that while the world addresses a medical crisis, a larger ecological threat looms. (Olivier Morin / AFP)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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Fox cubs venture out from their den under a popular boardwalk alongside Lake Ontario during the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 22. (Carlos Osorio / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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Two silvery-brown Tamarin or Grey Titi monkeys (saguinus leucopus) run along cables in Medellin, Colombia, on April 16 amid an outbreak of the new coronavirus COVID-19. The Tamarin is an endangered species endemic to northern Colombia. (Joaquin Sarmiento / AFP)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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Wild boars cross a road in a residential area after the government ordered residents to stay home to fight the spread of coronavirus in Haifa, northern Israel April 16. The visitations, since nationwide lockdowns came into effect this month, have revived debate among residents of the hilly port city over policy regarding the pests. (Ronen Zvulun / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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Curly pelicans at their nest in the Karavasta lagoon, part of the Divjake Karavasta National Park. (Gent Shkullaku / AFP)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST

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A red fox walks in an empty park in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, where predatory animals now roam amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions that have closed beaches and emptied sidewalks. (Amir Cohen / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON APR 23, 2020 07:56 PM IST