Turtles reclaim Thai beaches

Thai environmentalists say rare leatherback sea turtles are back to beaches bereft of tourists because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From wild boar in the Israeli city of Haifa to deer in London, wildlife is being drawn into newly quiet places.

In Thailand, curbs ranging from a ban on international flights to an appeal to citizens to stay home have freed up beaches.

Eleven turtle nests found since November were the most in 20 years, said Kongkiat Kittiwatanawong, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center.

"This is a very good sign as many areas have been destroyed by humans," he said, noting that no nests had been found for five years.

Leatherbacks are the world's largest sea turtles and are listed as endangered in Thailand and as vulnerable globally.

They lay their eggs in dark and quiet areas - scarce when tourists throng beaches. People have also been known to dig into their nests and steal eggs.

In March, staff at a park in nearby Phanga Nga province found 84 leatherback hatchlings.