Sudden silence
D 2023
April 2020. A virus is forcing people around the globe to restrict their freedom of movement. It is estimated that by spring 2020, more than half of the world's population would have to stay at home. Governments around the globe had responded to the escalating COVID19 crisis with strict lockdown and quarantine measures. And suddenly, humans were much less omnipresent than they usually are. Suddenly there was silence.
Researchers quickly realized: This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! For although the COVID19 pandemic has led to a tragic global crisis, it represents a unique opportunity to study the impact of our human actions on wildlife and the environment in general. A gift to science.
An international team led by behavioral ecologist Prof. Christian Rutz from Hamburg is analyzing movement data from animals around the world for this purpose. Mini transmitters, video cameras and photo traps have recorded the hidden lives of wild animals - before, during and after the lockdown. A unique global experiment! How have animals changed their movement patterns or behavior? And can the pandemic be an opportunity to develop strategies for better human-wildlife coexistence? Rutz, who teaches at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, sees great opportunities in the study: "We can find out how humans can share the rather limited space on this planet with other animals. Sometimes it could be restructuring transportation networks, sometimes it could be closing beaches during breeding seasons. Even if humans can't always stay lockdown - and no one is asking us to - small changes in our everyday behaviors could benefit nature."
Sudden silence accompanies scientists around the world, for example in Italy, the Czech Republic, Canada and Tanzania. The film illustrates the effects of the break from humans (the so-called "anthropause") on wildlife such as deer, brown bears, rhinos and orca whales. At the same time, much of this data contributes to the mega-study, which is overseen by researchers Christian Rutz and Marlee Tucker. The results reveal a complex picture of need and opportunity for better human-wildlife coexistence on our shared planet.
Governments
Susanne Maria Krauß
Production
In one media
Technical data
Length: 52 min