Coronavirus lockdowns globally have given parts of the natural world a rare opportunity to experience life with hardly any humans around. Animals in urban areas are exploring emptied streets and waterways, and delighting human inhabitants along the way.

While many of these are not unique sightings, the human restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic seem to have given animals the confidence to go deeper into our cities and stay for longer. Others are enjoying having nature reserves and parks all to themselves, and some authorities report a boom in wildlife while tourists are away.

Photo: Wild nature takes over the city streets during lockdown

The Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey is normally one of the world's busiest marine routes. Huge tankers, cargo ships and passenger boats criss-cross the straits that cut the city in half 24 hours a day. Now, with a lull in traffic and fishermen staying at home during the city's lockdown, dolphins are swimming and jumping in the waters. Recently, dolphins have also been spotted on the Venetian Canal in Italy.

Boars were seen snuffling and foraging for food around the city of Haifa before the pandemic, but the absence of humans has encouraged them further.

In Albania, pink flamingos are flourishing in lagoons on the country's west coastline, where numbers have increased by a third to 3,000.

In Thailand, a herd of 30 dugongs (also known as sea cow) was caught on camera swimming in the Hat Chao Mai National Park where tourism has ground to a halt. 

Several cougars found wandering the streets of Santiago, Chile were captured and released back to their natural habitats.

And who could forget the famous Kashmiri goats of Llandudno? They enjoyed the deserted town in Wales and had a scamper around last month.

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