With self-isolation affecting such a huge percentage of the population and many facilities like zoos, wildlife parks and reserves closed, animals lovers may be searching for a way to maintain that connection with the wild.
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And thanks to the wonders of technology you can.
Webcams around the globe are providing an incredible, and in some cases, intimate view of the life of animals in all manner of habitats and environments.
So here's a list of just some of those cameras which afford us an incredible window onto the wild and the wild at heart.
1. Libearty Bear Sanctuary, Romania
Created with the assistance of World Animal Protection in 2007, Libearty Bear Sanctuary offers a live stream 24 hours a day.
This 70-hectare property in the Carpathian Mountains is home to over 70 bears, and through the realtime webcam you can see the bears being fed, playing in the pond and interacting.
On occasion you will even see other smaller animals like foxes and so on.
It's quite addictive.
2. Zoo cams
Many zoos are keeping people engaged with the antics of their residents through the web.
Taronga Zoo has Taronga TV and live streams of their tiger, seal and elephant enclosures, penguin feeding and keeper chats. They also have a YouTube channel.
Zoos Victoria also has live footage available from Melbourne, Healesville and Werribee, so check out the echidnas, adorable snow leopard cubs, zebras and giraffes, lions and penguins.
If your tastes run more to the aquatic, Monterey Bay Aquarium has a wonderful selection of webcams from jellyfish to gorgeous sea otters. These operate during specific hours.
3. Wild Life
If you would like to view animals in their natural habitat, again there are a host of opportunities to eavesdrop on some extraordinary creatures.
Tembe Elephant Park is home to some of the biggest tuskers in the world as well as 340 bird species. Their webcam, complete with sound, gives an immersive view of an African watering hole.
In addition, Africam has a range of sites where you can observe the wonderful wildlife from the safety of your lounge room.
There's the Decorah eagles in Iowa who are currently sitting on a clutch of eggs in their eyrie unaware they are being observed and the Great Spirit Bluff falcons in Minnesota.
You can also keep an eye out for mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo thanks to the Grace Centre Gorilla Corridor cam.
4. Get Involved
If you're more the hands-on type, Zooniverse connects citizen scientists with a huge range of international research projects.
For example Wild Gabon needs participants to identify species from thousands of camera-trap images to help develop conservation programs.
There's also Snapshot Karoo, The Wilds' Wildlife Watch, South Sudan Diversity Cam, eMammal and many more.
Get your science on at www.zooniverse.org/projects?page=1&status=live
