A new report has said that the current pandemic has 'significantly impacted nature'.
The new publication is from the IUCN.
It warns that nature has been severely impacted due to the pandemic and what has been happening around the world over the past year.
They specifically talk about how nature conservation has been harmed by recent events - conservation efforts have been harmed and halted during the past year.
Half of the protected areas in Africa were forced to stop patrolling to protect wildlife because of the pandemic. Worryingly, these protected areas are areas where animals such as Rhinos and Elephants are protected from poaching. Protecting Elephants and Rhinos from poaching can help save them.
In Asia, a quarter of protected areas have seen a reduction in conservation.
In total, 22 countries have rolled back conservation protections. This news is worrying not just for animals that are poached - like Rhinos and Elephants - but it is also worrying for other animals that are endangered and critically endangered.
Without conservation efforts and wild animals being protected, it could result in species that are endangered declining even more.
The pandemic has not only resulted in a decline in conservation, it has also resulted in a decline in wildlife jobs, as 20% of wildlife rangers have lost their job since the pandemic began and 1 in 4 rangers had seen their salary reduced or delayed.
The job losses and decline in conservation is partly the result of a lack of tourism. If people can't travel, then it has a knock on effect to eco-tourism, that results in a decline in funding for conservation. With lockdowns and restrictions been put in place around the world, it has also resulted in job losses and a decline in salaries.
This isn't the only report that has highlighted the harms that lockdowns are having on wildlife and animals: there has been several stories highlighting them harm being caused to wildlife, animals and animal charities over the past year.
In March 2020, it was reported that zoo animals were starving in China because of lockdowns there.
In May 2020, it was reported that zoo animals were lonely without visitors.
In November 2020, it was reported that there was a zoo crisis in the UK due to a second national lockdown which began that November.
In December 2020, a report came out that talked about how pandemic lockdowns were harming Madagascar's endangered Lemurs.
If you want to read more about the IUCN's new report, go - here.
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