Amanda Burrell

On June 5, 1972, delegates from 114 countries gathered in Stockholm for a landmark United Nations conference, the first-ever to focus on the environment. Some key decisions were made there that firmly put the planet on the political agenda. Twenty-six principles on environmental protection and human rights were outlined in The Stockholm Declaration. Six months later, the UN Environmental Programme, or UNEP, was established.

With human populations around the world being forced to take a back seat, emboldened animals are gliding through clear waterways, stepping out onto peaceful city streets and reclaiming deserted national parks. Animal sightings are drawing wonder on social media. A jellyfish floating along the canals of Venice, a civet cat sauntering along a zebra crossing in Kerala, a puma lying asleep in a tree in a back yard in Boulder, Colorado, and others scouting the streets of Santiago.