Almost one-third of the world’s population is under lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
ISLAMABAD: Almost one-third of the world’s population is under lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. People around the globe are terrified as the situation is worsening by the day. However, it may also seem that the deadly virus has hit the reset button on nature. Nature has begun to reclaim itself because we humans are forced to stay at home. Pictures are circulating on the internet where animals have been seen roaming freely thanks to empty public places. Animals can now walk freely without the fear of human intervention. These images are a grim reminder of how we have taken over the earth and have encroached upon the territories of other living beings. It is important to understand that this planet is not just ours.
We should realise that our lives are more about co-habitation and not just about survival of the fittest. Humans have changed the face of the earth by polluting the environment to such an extent that a large number of species of animals are now extinct. We have not only killed animals but also destroyed their habitats by bringing down forests and polluting oceans. Due to our ill behaviour, many other species are also on the verge of extinction and this will keep happening. This pandemic looks more like the last chance offered by nature to humans and if we don’t wake up now then there might not be any more chances left.
The pandemic should be a lesson for all of us. We need to learn to coexist with other living beings or nature will find its way to reclaim its space and destroy us.
Ahmed Usaid
Published in The Express Tribune, April 13th, 2020.
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