Nature at its best

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - If you are depressed and saddened by what has become of the world in the last few months, perhaps consider that it is mother earth telling us she has had enough of our human invasion.

But there is another side of the story.

One of the bright sides of the Covid-19 lockdown is that citizens of South Africa will be standing together in the quest to flatten the curve.

Families are standing together and in some circumstances surviving together.

For all South African citizens this is something out of the apocalypse movies. Most citizens said it happened in China and will never come here. And now the reality is that a few deaths are already announced. Over 1 500 infected and still rising.

Although there are regions and townships in the country that struggle to adapt to the new way of living, they will soon realise this virus is here to stay for quite some time. The deadline day of 15 April will come and go and fears are that the 21 days will be extended.

But have you noticed the following? Go sit outside during daytime or at night and open up your senses. It is as if the birds are singing more. You don't hear any planes. No cars rushing down the streets. The sky looks clear and smells fresh. The night sky reveals more stars.

These are but a few of the advantages this lockdown brought to mother earth. If you are privilege to still be able to move around you will notice more advantages this lockdown brought to nature.

There are definitely fewer road kills. Seagulls are taking over the beaches and relaxing on parking bays around the Point in Mossel Bay and on our beaches.

Ducks and other bird species never seen near estuaries and in our rivers are being seen more and more.

Animals that are scared of humans are more visible in and around the area. Fewer exhaust emissions and less air pollution will have a good effect on the ozone layer. There is almost 100% less pollution on our beaches, fewer fuel and oil spills in the ocean.

Our towns stay clean. There is no noise pollution from large factories, buses, trucks and vehicles. With less traffic there are definitely fewer accidents. The use of alcohol contributed to accidents and the ban on alcohol surely keeps the hospitals at ease. And another bonus: no load shedding and less coal used.

So maybe this is the break that nature needed.

A family of rock hyrax visiting the entrance of the closed Point Hotel and Spa.