Wild animals take back control of Mexican resorts

Incredible footage shows how crocodiles, jaguars and sea turtles are ‘taking back control’ of two Mexican resorts as tourist activities are suspended and residents remains indoors during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The animals were filmed in the coastal resorts of Cancun and Riviera Maya in the south-eastern Mexican state of Quintana Roo.

In one clip, viewed 120,000 times on Facebook, a crocodile is seen swimming along a canal outside people’s balconies.

The cameraman says: ‘It is gigantic!’

In one clip, viewed 120,000 times on Facebook, a crocodile is seen swimming along a canal outside people’s balconies in Mexico

Another video shows a jaguar walking a city street at night.

According to local media, the jaguar was also spotted inside the complex of the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort & Spa in Tulum.

Meanwhile, the absence of tourists and residents in public spaces led to a leatherback sea turtle laying its eggs on the beach in front of a luxury hotel in Cancun.

Another video shows a jaguar walking a city street at night. According to local media, the jaguar was also spotted inside the complex of the Grand Sirenis Riviera Maya Resort & Spa in Tulum

Regional environment secretary Alfredo Arellano told local media: ‘On average, we only see one leatherback sea turtle a year and the nesting season starts in May, it was something unusual.’

According to reports, the turtle laid 112 eggs in front of the Grand Oasis Cancun hotel.

Arellano said: ‘These species lost their habitats when the cities expanded and their living spaces became smaller and smaller.’

Meanwhile, the absence of tourists and residents in public spaces led to a leatherback sea turtle laying its eggs on the beach in front of a luxury hotel in Cancun

The Mexican authorities have ordered a lockdown that will last until April 30 at least to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As of March 31, Mexico has reported 1,094 cases of COVID-19 and 28 related deaths, according to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, 35 people have made full recoveries.

It comes as canals in Venice are the clearest they have been in living memory after Italy’s coronavirus lockdown stopped boats from bringing sediment to the surface.  

In a rare welcome side-effect of the health crisis, the usually murky waterways are clear enough to see the schools of fish under the water.

White swans near a bridge (pictured left) clear water in the canals (right) and in Venice where the usually overcrowded streets and piazzas have been left deserted because of the coronavirus outbreak 

White swans are also roaming the canals in a city where the usually overloaded piazzas and alleyways have become almost deserted, while air pollution has declined across northern Italy.

With no tourists taking gondola rides along the canals, the sediment in the water has been able to settle at the bottom without being churned about – making the surface clearer. 

Thousands of lives have been saved in China since the coronavirus outbreak started, scientists have claimed, saying lockdowns have dramatically improved air quality.  

Satellite images from the European Space Agency and NASA show a dramatic reduction in the amount of harmful greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere.

Researchers from Stanford University say in places like China the reduction in air pollution has led to fewer premature deaths from breathing toxic air.