Amid claims that Mother Nature is healing due to less human interference during the lockdown and that wild animals are enjoying their time out at different places, local people and experts in Kurseong have said the town has been witnessing more birds and more of their activities as compared to normal days.
Although local people on the outskirts of the town said that they used to see the common birds and used to hear their chirping earlier too, people in the main town areas said they have been sighting some rare species of birds too and that more of the avian species are seen in the town these days.
“These birds were earlier seen only on the outskirts or the nearby jungles and woods. They are now all over the town, including the once busy places like the main roads, which, however, are presently deserted as humans stay indoors due to the lockdown,” a local man, Sunil Sharma, said.
According to a bird-watcher from Kurseong, Kalyan Subba, it is true that the lockdown has come as a blessing for nature and the birds. “The activities of the different species of birds found in our region have increased in the town area during this lockdown,” he said. “This is also a time for migratory birds to fly in to our areas, as summer has started in the plains. Several birds are flocking to our region these days from the plains, and the birds have also arrived at different places in Kurseong,” Mr Subba said.
According to Mr Sharma, he can feel for humans as they have to mostly stay indoors during such a time of crisis, but he is happy that nature is healing all over the world and that animals and birds have reportedly been having a great time even in town areas.
“The lockdown has led to less human interference on nature and certainly brought the pollution levels down, while the air these days is good to breathe and the views are clearer,” he added. “I don’t know if others have noticed it here, but I am loving the chirping of the birds and their presence here. They seem to be a happier lot than during normal days of human activity,” Mr Sharma said.