LA's skies are smog-free and peacocks are roaming the streets of Dubai. Photos show how nature has returned to cities shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

Herds of mountain goats that normally live outside Llandudno, Wales, have taken over while the town's human residents are staying indoors.Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

• Aside from slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus, social distancing has had the unintended side effect of reducing pollution and replenishing wildlife across the globe.
• Several cities have seen a reduction in air pollution, while mountain goats overran one Welsh town as people stay indoors.
• The coronavirus has infected over 2.4 million and killed more than 165,000, with over 40,000 deaths in the US.
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Social distancing might not just slow the spread of the novel coronavirus — it might also give the environment a break from the pollution of modern life.

Cities across the globe have reported reductions in air pollution as daily life has come to a grinding halt because of the pandemic. Governments around the world have asked people to practice social distancing (or mandated nationwide lockdown measures) to slow its spread.

Keep reading to see how urban environments have changed amid the coronavirus crisis.

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