Wild animals around the world are starting to venture into cities, parks, and even ski resorts due to COVID-19 lockdowns. With people told to stay at home, animals are exploring areas that are usually off-limits. The rare moments are being captured by lucky individuals and shared with the world.
Sierra Nevada Ski Resort near Granada, Spain, closed over a month ago when Spain went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The snowy slopes were empty or at least that is what Regina Jimenez Caballero, local resident, thought when she took her dog for a stroll.
Since skiers were no longer using the hills, a herd of wild horses had a blast racing up the slopes. Regina and her dog were at the top of a hill when she spotted a herd of wild horses rounding the corner and trotting towards her. Thankfully, she had her phone handy to capture the amazing moment.
The majestic animals passed her with a beautiful bay horse pausing to look in her direction. The video showed the herd galloping up another hill and then out of the snow. The awe-inspiring moment has made the day of countless people. One person commented, “What a pleasant surprise nature gives us.” Another wrote, “Beautiful, free!!!”
Four-dozen Retuerta horses have been released into the wild in western Spain over the past two years as part of a project by Rewilding Europe, a nonprofit group that seeks to turn the loss of rural farming life into an opportunity to boost biodiversity.
The endangered Retuerta is one of the oldest horse breeds in Europe and most closely resembles the race of ancient Iberian horses that populated this region before being domesticated.
Retuertas are nearly extinct, with only about 150 remaining in Doñana National Park in southern Spain. Living in a single cluster there, the entire species could be wiped out by any potential disease or calamity.
So wildlife experts arranged to have two batches of two-dozen Retuertas each brought to the Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, an unfenced area of western Spain that's believed to have once been native territory for the horses.
Sierra Nevada Ski Resort near Granada, Spain, closed over a month ago when Spain went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The snowy slopes were empty or at least that is what Regina Jimenez Caballero, local resident, thought when she took her dog for a stroll.
Since skiers were no longer using the hills, a herd of wild horses had a blast racing up the slopes. Regina and her dog were at the top of a hill when she spotted a herd of wild horses rounding the corner and trotting towards her. Thankfully, she had her phone handy to capture the amazing moment.
The majestic animals passed her with a beautiful bay horse pausing to look in her direction. The video showed the herd galloping up another hill and then out of the snow. The awe-inspiring moment has made the day of countless people. One person commented, “What a pleasant surprise nature gives us.” Another wrote, “Beautiful, free!!!”
Four-dozen Retuerta horses have been released into the wild in western Spain over the past two years as part of a project by Rewilding Europe, a nonprofit group that seeks to turn the loss of rural farming life into an opportunity to boost biodiversity.
The endangered Retuerta is one of the oldest horse breeds in Europe and most closely resembles the race of ancient Iberian horses that populated this region before being domesticated.
Retuertas are nearly extinct, with only about 150 remaining in Doñana National Park in southern Spain. Living in a single cluster there, the entire species could be wiped out by any potential disease or calamity.
So wildlife experts arranged to have two batches of two-dozen Retuertas each brought to the Campanarios de Azaba Biological Reserve, an unfenced area of western Spain that's believed to have once been native territory for the horses.
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Thank you for that.