Covid-19 : Blessing or curse on biodiversity ?
Mankind is going through a complete unprecedented phase in a world of rapidly spreading Covid19 pandemic. With the death tolls increasing everyday by thousands and the socio-economic condition nationwide and abroad being broken, nature has chosen to take actions. Leaving aside the fear for our own health, and that of our loved ones and also those who are most vulnerable, we must not overshadow the most striking observation that in the span of a few weeks, nature has stroked back on the crisis of dangerous decline in biodiversity. Like the other major epidemics like Ebola, SARS ,the emergence of the coronavirus is not unrelated with climate change, biodiversity and animal health we are experiencing. Humankind is destroying natural environments at an accelerating rate between 1980 and 2000, more than million hectares of tropical forest were felled, and more than 85% of wetlands have been destroyed from the beginning of industrial era. As a result of this human health has been put in a precarious state particularly in contact with new pathogens. Wild animals who were supposed to be restricted within a certain environment aloof from human population are disturbed by human aggressiveness. These wild animals are disease reservoirs. Mankind shamelessly hunt wild animals for purely recreational reasons — for show, the appeal of rare species, exotic meals and unproven wrong pharmacopoeia. This trade of animal feeds the markets and in turn contaminate the urban centers with new maladies. This has been repeated several times in history. SARS( severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus appeared in 2002 in China. It spread worldwide within a few months, although it was quickly tamed. No such case came up since 2004. Similar outbreak of another virus is the Ebola emerged most commonly from bats. Due to deforestation, the villagers settled themselves on the cleared edge of the forests and hunt wild animals and send infected meat to cities. This is how Ebola found its way to major human centers. Capturing and selling exotic animals puts a pressure on wild population. The most endangered species of Pangolin being trafficked is brought under the underscore of covid-19 pandemic. Recent studies had placed pangolins as a natural reservoir of coronavirus similar to SARS-Cov-2, the one behind the Covid-19 pandemic. Studies suggested that pangolin trafficking and selling in the wet markets should be stopped to prevent zoonotic transmission as they are considered possible hosts in the emergence of novel Coronavirus. Based on the research work published in the journal Forensic science International Reports, it can be said that between 2003 and 2004, states in the Northeast India like Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya were the hotspots for Pangolin poaching in the country and its increasing in other parts of the country as well. Shy and nocturnal animals are living under the threat of being hunt due to the surface the scrutiny to illegal wildlife trafficking. Experts have raised concerns over China's measure to prevent illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand. This can be seen as the brighter side of Covid-19 pandemic the biodiversity. Wildlife trafficking has led to dramatic decline of many species, including rhinos, elephants and pangolins. This is a serious blow on biodiversity. If people starts understanding that wildlife trafficking is likely to play a key role in transmission of zoonotic disease from animals to humans , it will help in raising awareness. Let’s hope in a poet Covid world, biodiversity conservation will become a significant issue. Stricter control of wildlife trade will not only reduce the stress of virus but also will ensure biodiversity conservation. Wildlife protection should be prioritized in a post Covid world. Biodiversity loss, destruction of nature and virus like Covid-19 are interlinked . Covid-19 Lockdown is a blessing for the sticking back of biodiversity loss. Animals and birds are being seen in parts where they were not seen earlier due to human activities. Gangetic dolphins are visible in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar due to lack of human activity. Gangetic Dolphins live in a zone where there is little or no current, helping them save energy. The Gangetic river dolphin is India's National aquatic animal but frequently falls prey to poachers. Pollution levels have reduced drastically and birds and animals are reclaiming their territory. Coronavirus seems to be helping nature recoup. The Olive Ridley sea turtles have arrived in Odisha for nesting in this lockdown as it is providing perfect favorable conditions for them. The Forest department also claimed that this year could see the highest number of turtles. Over 72,142 Olive Ridleys have arrived at the bench to dig nests and eggs, since Tuesday morning. Sounds of birds are replacing noise pollution and car horns in India and abroad. Migratory birds have been spotted amid the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of novel Coronavirus. As the air and noise pollution were reduced by 50-75% during Lockdown, birds have reclaimed a part of their lost territory. Thus, it can be concluded that most of the infectious zoonotic diseases that originate from wildlife are 72% and they spread from animals to humans. As humans activities continue to disturb ecosystems worldwide, there is a fair chance of seeing more pathogens crossing from wildlife to humans in future. This should serve as a call to better manage our relationship with nature in general, and wildlife in particular. Simple solutions such as banning China’s wet market is not enough to curb the problem of biodiversity loss. We need to reduce the frequency of pandemic outbreaks by conserving and restoring biodiversity globally, most crucially in disease hotspots.
Amrita
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