Impact of COVID-19 Induced Lockdown on the Behavioral Response of Certain Migratory Birds and Gangetic Dolphins in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), Bihar, India

In the present investigation we aimed to access the behavioral responses of certain migratory birds, Gangetic dolphins and other aquatic fauna - in Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), a lower part of the river Ganges in Bhagalpur, Bihar, India to the sudden and drastic changes occurring in the urban environment resulting from the COVID-19 induced lockdown in the country and abroad. Birds are bio-indicators, and as significant members of several food chains, they play a crucial role in maintaining ecological equilibrium. The imposition of complete lockdown in the country and abroad in 2020 and 2021 as a result of a COVID-19-like epidemic had a significant impact on human and animal life. Due to complete lockdown, many changes in environmental parameters such as air, water, and soil quality were observed, leading in strange and atypical behavior in birds and other species.

The birds were showing their prolonged stay in the sanctuary area in comparison to previous years. Detectability of Gangetic Dolphins was also observed significantly higher in comparison to other days. Gharials were sighted in both the years in 2020 and 2021 after a decade or more. All these uncommon behavioral changes as recorded in some migratory birds, Gangetic Dolphins and other aquatic fauna during and just after lockdown may be due to sudden and unexpected changes in the weather and climate or due to less human interferences and complete ban on fishing activity due to complete lockdown globally. The COVID-19 lockdown offered scope for an experiment in animal behavior. An unexpected reduction in human activities, low level of pollution and the sudden silence of locality certainly surprised the birds and other animals and pushed them to show some uncommon behaviors, which cannot be ignored and it is a subject of further research.