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Jett Gesten
Professor Guenzel
ENC 1102
4/8/2021

Nature untouched: A study of animals in the Coronavirus

Introduction

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an inescapable topic right now, and yet there is little

research on its effects other than immediate health and economic concerns. For the first time in a

long time, humans are keeping to themselves and not disturbing the environment due to the

lockdowns put in place. Consequentially, the tourism industry is collapsing globally, and animals

are feeling its effects, both positive and negative. While the parameters for the definition of

tourism is very messy, it can be generally agreed that it consists of a person travelling to a new

location temporarily for recreation (Carr & Broom, 2018). Therefore, animal tourism is tourism

for the purpose of seeing animals atypical of one’s home environment. Animal tourism is also

found around the globe, and is concentrated in hotspots, so its impact is not evenly distributed

(Carr & Broom, 2018, p. 3). In this paper, I will discuss how some of these hotspots have been

affected, and whether animals have suffered or benefited because of it.

There are several ways in which animal-human interaction has changed due to the

Coronavirus. I have condensed these into two definitions. The first is tourist-animal interaction;

this is the direct contact between animals in tourism destinations and the tourists themselves.

Examples include humans feeding, petting, or even poaching animals. Tourist-economy

interactions are how the money spent by tourists affects a countries’ GDP, and how that money

is spent on animals in tourism destinations. Money spent on animals can be used for protection

or feeding, for example.

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Methodology

Research was conducted by analyzing several news articles, peer reviewed studies, and

social media posts related to COVID-19 and animal tourism. Using simple keywords including

“Covid”, “tourism”, and “animal tourism”, I was able to find plenty of documentation on some

of the effects Covid had on humans and animals. Google provided many options in the form of

news articles and social media posts, while google scholar presented many scholarly papers.

After gathering a multitude of sources and creating a digital paper trail, the sources were grouped

according to the country described in the article. This allowed me to break my paper down into

several countries as my perspectives. Furthermore, animals and locations were chosen from these

articles, which provided me with several useful examples. Then I determined whether each

example was a net positive or a net negative for the perspective of the animal by discovering its

effects on the animal’s health.

Results

United States:

The United States of America is home to many sites of animal tourism, including zoos,

animal sanctuaries, nature trails, and national parks. Many of these facilities have had to

implement restrictions to keep visitors and animals safe, as COVID-19 is not exclusive to

humans. According to Rachel Nuwer, a journalist for National Geographic, “Species infected so

far include domestic cats, lions, tigers, mink, and dogs.” (Nuwer, 2021). As of February 19,

2021, three gorillas at the San Diego Zoo have tested positive for COVID (Nuwer, 2021). A

study from the scientific journal People and Nature analyzing the distance between takers of

selfies and gorillas yielded that tourists looking for a photo op regularly break distancing
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regulations of at least 7 meters, which puts the gorillas at risk (Nuwer, 2021). Nearly 97% of

selfies taken were from less than 23 feet, as required, with 25 photos containing tourists touching

the gorillas (Newer, 2021).

One popular method to prevent both animals and humans getting COVID is to close

down all in person services at the zoo completely. Instead, live video feeds of the animals,

known as “livestreams”, are posted online, so that the exhibits can be watched from the safety of

one’s own home (Jones, 2020). A viral video from Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, who closed their

doors due to the virus, shows zookeepers chaperoning a group of penguins around the aquarium

as they visit the other animals and exhibits (Farzan 2020). The tweet containing this video

gathered over 155 thousand likes and 57 thousand retweets but has been reposted by other users

garnering hundreds of thousands more. Other zoos have posted similar videos, like Fort Worth

Zoo’s Patagonian mara enjoying the company of 3 otters, or the Toronto Zoo’s photo of donkeys

and llamas hanging out with polar bears (Jones 2020). These zoo animals, who typically spend

their lives as the exhibits, are getting new opportunities to see other animals they would never

meet in nature. These videos and similar content have not only stirred up a new interest in zoos

but have also revealed a public desire for the continuation of lockdowns so that the earth may

“heal” (Crossley, 2020). Shutting down zoos may be good in the short term, but it has long term

consequences. Over 200 U.S. zoos have suffered huge hits to their income, as they cannot sell

tickets when the doors are closed (Brulliard & Oldham, 2020). This is particularly problematic,

as the lack of government assistance means these zoos struggle to accommodate their animals,

which require food, water, heating, cooling, and veterinary care (Brulliard & Oldham, 2020).

As Americans stay home and watch penguins take field trips, they are spending more

time with their furry friends too. United States pet culture is unlike that in many other places. In
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Africa for example, dogs roam the villages, but are not treated as companions (Herzog, 2019).

Inversely, pets in the United States are treated as family members. According to Euromonitor’s

estimates of 53 countries, the average number of dogs owned per 1000 people is about 109,

while the United States is highest with an estimated 225 dogs per 1000 people (Herzog, 2019).

Owners are spending drastically higher amounts of time with their pets, as lockdowns ensue.

This is a mutually beneficial relationship. Pets require walks which can get their owners to go

outside (Preston, 2020). They also keep our schedules consistent by, for example, needing to get

up or be fed at a certain time (Preston, 2020). Furthermore, according to the Anxiety and

Depression Association of America (ADAA), they can also help alleviate anxiety, stress, and

depression (Preston, 2020). Preston goes on to warn that pets can detect our stress which can

cause their mental health to suffer. Fortunately, this can be relieved with frequent play and

physical activity (Preston, 2020). Those who do not own pets have also come to the rescue;

lockdown loneliness has led to an increase in pets being fostered and adopted, with many shelters

removing adoption fees and even clearing out their entire shelters (“12 News”, 2020; Ellis, 2020,

Puente, 2020). Unfortunately, this can also lead to a trend seen frequently on easter: People buy

pets for others, who then fail to take care of them. These pets then return back to shelters or are

mistreated.

Our interactions with animals in captivity are not the only things that have changed. With

less traffic, both in the ocean and on the roads, noise pollution has decreased. This has resulted in

new scientific studies that were not possible (Stokstad 2020). Stokstad describes a marine

ecologist, Ari Friedlaender, who had to return home from his study in Antarctica on the effects of

tourism and fishing on humpback whales. He writes,

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“He was stressed, but after returning home Friedlaender realized the pandemic offered an

unprecedented opportunity for similar studies of whales in nearby Monterey Bay. Lockdowns

had dramatically reduced noisy boat traffic, which can stress marine life, and he and his

colleagues were soon discussing how to investigate the whales’ response to the hiatus.”

For scientists, this period will introduce a historic change, and broaden their capabilities

for studies. Already, scientists are using animals such as mice, ferrets, and primates to test

vaccines, so much so that laboratories claim they are running out of monkeys to test on (Grant,

2020).

Africa:

The allure of the safari makes Africa a hotspot for tourism, and it contains many beautiful

animals. Namibia has reserved nearly half of its land for conservation, and contains a variety of

species, such as elephants, lions, black rhinos, and cheetahs (Paxton, 2020). An ingenious motion

from Namibia’s government gives communities the rights to the benefits of wildlife. This

encourages locals to convert from poachers to protectors (Paxton, 2020). However, due to a

reduction in tourism from COVID, millions of dollars in potential tourism profits have been lost

(Paxton, 2020). Poaching is now on the rise as tourism is not as profitable as it once was.

Elsewhere in Africa, a similar trend can be noticed. Poaching is not new to Africa, but

recent poaching incidents in Botswana and South Africa are significant, as they occurred in

previous tourism hotspots that typically would be safe (Newburger, 2020; Roth, 2020). The

abundance of tourists would usually prevent poachers from operating stealthily- more than 70

million tourists a year-, but now no one is there to witness them (Bhalla, 2020; Roth, 2020). This

is compounded by the fact that the parks are primarily self-funded, so many rangers are losing
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their jobs (Bhalla, 2020). This reduction in rangers and funds means that parks cannot do

frequent patrols, as there are few people to do them, and they cannot afford the fuel and food to

do so (Bhalla, 2020). As of April 24, 2020, at least 9 rhinos have been killed since lockdown in

northwest South Africa (Newburger, 2020). These rhinos are killed for their horns, which are

used as medicine or status symbols in Asia (“World Wildlife Fund”, n.d.). Many times, the horns

are removed from the living rhino, which is left to suffer (“World Wildlife Fund”, n.d.). More

rhinos are expected to be poached as a source of food (Roth, 2020). Many inhabitants of these

countries rely on the profits of wildlife tourism for survival, and without a source of income,

food may become scarce (Bhalla, 2020; Roth, 2020). According to Kaddu Sebunya, chief

executive officer of the African Wildlife Foundation, approximately 20-30 million Africans

survive off the profits of tourism (Bhalla, 2020). Sebunya notes that “People are not going to sit

home and starve. They will rely on what natural resources are next to them. If it's a forest, they

will cut the trees. If it's a park, they will hunt the animals. If it's a river, they will over-fish"

(Bhalla, 2020).

Elephants are in the same boat as rhinos; they are massive mammals who are hunted for

their horns. Botswana is home to nearly 130,000 elephants, which lived as a protected species

until just before the pandemic, when Botswana overturned its ban on commercial hunting (Jones,

2020). This alarmed many conservationists, but there was still respite for the elephants.

Botswana enacted travel bans from 18 countries which were likely to bring trophy hunters for

several months, though these restrictions were recently lifted, putting elephants at risk (Jones,

2020; “Journeys International”, 2021). Continued killings of African wildlife can lead to their

extinction (Paxton, 2020). Paxton continues, saying that “The black rhino population has

plummeted 97.6% since 1960 and the lion population is down 43% in the last 21 years,
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according to the World Wildlife Fund. At least 35,000 African elephants are killed each year and

roughly only 1,000 mountain gorillas and 2,000 Grevy’s zebras remain on the continent” (2020).

Poaching continues to put animals in Africa at serious risk. Increased poaching also brings the

possibility of more viruses spread between wildlife and humans (Paxton, 2020).

Asia:

Thailand, India, and Indonesia are giants of Asian animal tourism, and their attractions

match the size. All of these countries are hosts to once profitable elephant parks, which have also

been afflicted (Ellis-Peterson & Ratcliffe, 2020). Like Africa, these elephants are at risk, but for

a different reason; these elephants do not have a poaching problem, they have a profit problem.

The elephants are sustained with the income and donations of tourists alone (Turner, 2020).

Without the revenue of tourism, which previously supported elephant owners, these owners have

had to feed their elephants out of pocket (Turner, 2020). According to Ellis-Peterson and

Ratcliffe, elephants are very expensive, and “will eat up to 200kg of food a day, amounting to

10% of their body weight, and it costs up to 5,000 rupees daily (£51) for each animal” (2020).

These owners are in desperate need of aid, and their futures are grim. On top of this, elephants

can sense human stress, and have become depressed because they cannot interact with tourists

(Ellis-Peterson & Ratcliffe, 2020). Elephants are now being abandoned in Thailand because their

owners cannot afford them (Ellis-Peterson & Ratcliffe, 2020). For animal rights activists,

however, there is a silver lining. The training of captive elephants, they believe, is abusive, and

this intermission may result in the end of, or at least a reduction to, the exploitation of elephants

for tourism (Ellis-Peterson & Ratcliffe, 2020).

Elsewhere in Thailand, turf wars occur in the streets(Ratcliffe, 2020). Their participants

are not humans, but rather monkeys who are fighting over food (Ratcliffe, 2020). Lopburi, an
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800-year-old city in Thailand, is a historic city and visiting site of many tourists (Specktor,

2020). Due to the Coronavirus, tourism in this area has reduced significantly, and the thousands

of crab-eating macaques who live there are now starving (Specktor, 2020). These monkeys are

accustomed to being fed by the hundreds of tourists who visit each day (Specktor, 2020). They

depend on free, calorie-dense foods as handouts, and so they cannot eat on their own (Turner,

2020). One viral video shows what appears to be nearly a hundred monkeys brawling in the

streets over a single cup of yoghurt (Ratcliffe, 2020). Another shows someone leaving a plastic

tub filled with bread on the ground, followed by dozens of monkeys piling on top of each other,

scrambling to grab hold of whatever they can (Boyle, 2020). Boyle continues, stating that a few

locals were banned for giving the monkeys sugary drinks, which sent them into a breeding frenzy

and mandated mass castrations due to rapidly increasing numbers (2020).

Discussion and Conclusion:

It is evident that the United States contains many more net positives than Africa and Asia.

In the United States, zoo animals have become susceptible to COVID-19, and many zoos have

had to close. On the other hand, zoo animals have new positive experiences meeting other

animals, our pets get more time with their owners, more animals are being adopted, and noise

pollution has decreased, allowing for the return of skittish animals and new studies. In Africa,

more rhinos and elephants are being poached, and a reduction in funds from tourism inhibits

rangers from preventing this poaching. In Asia, many elephants are abandoned or starving

because of the lack of tourism revenue. The monkeys are also starving.

A clear pattern is establishing itself here. In each of the 3 locations, animal tourism has

reduced drastically. The reduction in tourism revenue prevents rangers and caretakers from
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providing adequate care to the animals. These tourism-economy interactions affect the animals

less directly than tourist-animal interactions but seem to have more drastic effects. Even the

crab-eating macaques of Lopburi could be fed without any animal-human interaction, simply by

spending the money on food which the locals could deliver.

The United States could be the only location to yield positives in this study for several

reasons. The first of which is that animal tourism in Asia and Africa are primarily for

intercontinental or international tourists, while United States attractions are for local tourists. In

the United States, if one lives in a city or suburb, a zoo is likely not too distant for a drive. This

also means it is much more economically viable for someone in the United States to partake in

these activities, instead of having to drive or fly long distances. Therefore, tourist economies in

the United States are built upon frequent visits at low prices and can withstand changes in the

economy better, as opposed to Asia and Africa’s infrequent visits at higher prices.

The next possible reason is development of the countries. The United States is a much

more developed country than many of the countries in Africa and south Asia. Its economy is also

much more varied, and quality of life is higher. Starvation is not an immediate threat when the

economy busts, and when it does become a threat there are adequate resources to deal with it.

Simply put, the United States can afford to take hits that other countries cannot.

There is no one simple solution to deal with the current issues at hand. Intercontinental

tourism can be expensive and is not affordable by everyone. You could donate to the elephant

handlers of Asia, much to the dismay of animal rights activists who believe that supporting these

handlers is supporting the exploitation of elephants. You could donate to the monkeys of Lopburi

and enforce their dependence on humans. The best possible option would likely be to donate to

the conservationists of Africa, and of course, spread awareness.

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