The effects of the decline in tourism during the COVID-19 lockdown on the wild mammal community in forest surrounding a theme park on the Mexican Caribbean

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, human presence and activities were significantly reduced, providing a unique opportunity to quantify the negative impacts of tourism on wildlife. To better understand the possible effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, we compared the richness, abundance and behaviour (activity patterns and predator–prey temporal overlap) of large and medium-sized mammals inhabiting tropical forest surrounding a theme park (TP) on the Mexican Caribbean. We deployed 10 camera trap stations in the study area over four years, divided into two periods: Pre COVID-19 (PC19) from 2018 to 2019 and COVID-19 lockdown (C19LD) from 2020 to 2021. Species richness was similar in both periods. The most abundant species in both periods were white-nosed coati, Central American agouti and lowland paca. Coati and paca showed changes in their temporal patterns of activity, with paca being most active during C19LD and coati being most active during PC19. These species, together with the collared peccary and raccoon, showed changes in their kernel activity intervals of 50% between both periods. The overlap of activity patterns between predator and prey was greater between the ocelot and two of its potential prey during C19LD. The absence of humans during anthropause did not have a strong impact on most of the terrestrial mammals inhabiting the TP. We hypothesize that these species have developed a high tolerance to humans and that the non-consumptive activities carried out in the TP do not have a negative impact on them. Finally, further research is required on the short, medium and long-term effects of non-consumptive activities on the behaviour and ecology of wildlife in the tropics.