Scientists Tracked 4,500 Animals During COVID — the Results Surprised Them

When COVID-19 lockdowns abruptly changed where people travelled, worked and spent their free time, scientists gained an unusual opportunity to observe wildlife under conditions that could not have been deliberately created. The disruption allowed them to separate the effects of people’s physical presence from the longer-lasting impact of roads, farms and cities.

Researchers analysed millions of GPS locations from birds and mammals across the continental United States, then compared them with anonymised mobile-phone movement data. The results showed that animals were highly sensitive to human activity—but their responses were far more complex than simply moving into spaces people had abandoned.