Due to the coronavirus pandemic in India, PM Modi announced nationwide lockdown, which is now extended until May 3, 2020. People across the country have been confined within their homes and with the lockdown being extended, most of us might have not been excited about it but the animals are better off currently on empty streets with no man to disturb them.
In a similar instance in Mumbai, flamingos were spotted at a water body near Navi Mumbai. These majestic pink-feathered creatures put up a spectacular show for the residents of a housing complex in Nerul. In a recent update, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) said that there has been a 25 per cent increase in flamingo migration since 2019 when 1.2 lakh birds had arrived in the island city. This year, as per BHNS, close to 1.5 lakh birds were spotted in the first week of April itself.
The society pointed out that the increase had been witnessed due to the lower human activity in areas like Sewri, Thane Creek and the Talawe wetlands, comprising the NRI Complex, Seawoods and TS Chanakya in Navi Mumbai. Usually, there is construction work going on in these areas but with a lockdown in place, the flamingos have found ideal conditions for themselves to roam around these places.
Deepak Apte, director of BNHS told The Print that due to the wetland destruction and developmental activities across several areas of the eastern seafront, larger bird flocks would get squeezed into smaller pockets like in Navi Mumbai.
Earlier last week, this is how the Twitterati reacted to the wonderful event:
Flamingos in thousands ....view from palm beach road,seawood estate society,Nerul ,Navi Mumbai.
— Rajesh Patil (@rajeshpatilias) April 13, 2020
Less human interference and natural life blooms.
Curtesy : Amar Jadhav pic.twitter.com/htLfc8fRty
View from the terrace of NRI Colony, Seawoods. Shot by Ria.@AUThackeray you are requested to preserve this #flamingo sight in Navi Mumbai and take strict action against the builders who have been trying to encroach upon this land. @zeeshan_iyc @AnilDeshmukhNCP @NaviMumbaiWetl1 pic.twitter.com/PM7bnjnXSV
— Pranjal Agarwal | प्रांजल अग्रवाल (@Pranjal_A_) April 16, 2020
@sardesairajdeep the snaps of the Flamingo 🦩 as you have shared the video which is Navi Mumbai Palm Beach Road Wetlands. Hope you will contribute with your channel @CNNnews18 to be able to save this piece of nature.Since you posted it as Goa request you to correct it@sunnyagro pic.twitter.com/Dp0thaUnv0
— Lt Col Monish Ahuja (@Monish_Ahuja) April 13, 2020
This view is of Mumbai backwaters from Seawoods Complex in Nerul, Navi Mumbai. Every year a few hundred pink flamingos migrate to the backwaters ... this year it is simply spectacular ! (Source-WhatsApp) pic.twitter.com/MApw0s6Oft
— Rukshmanii kumari (@KumariRukshmani) April 15, 2020
While humans are locked inside, flamingos are putting in quite a spectacular show for the residents of Seawoods Complex in Nerul, Navi Mumbai ! pic.twitter.com/wYyIxo92Ch
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) April 16, 2020
Mysterious ways of Nature?
— Harinder S Sikka (@sikka_harinder) April 16, 2020
Mumbai backwaters, as seen from Seawoods Complex in Nerul.
Every year 100s of pink flamingos migrate to this spot.
But this year, numbers are truly spectacular.
It’s mystery, sitting 1000s of miles away, how did flamingos come to know about the change? pic.twitter.com/SZiVSH49j0
Over the years, the migration of flamingos had been hindered in the area due to human activities. But as the lockdown was in place, the water body was flooded with the beautiful pink birds.
While the lockdown may have adversely affected the economy along with other human activities, it surely has given mother nature, the time it requires to heal itself. After all, every cloud has a silver lining and with the lockdown in place, mother nature can breathe again.
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