Puma Reclaims City Streets As People Isolate From COVID

Story By: Jonathan MaciasSub EditorJoseph GolderAgency: Newsflash

Newsflash/@pablocollada

This is the moment a wild puma roams the city streets without a care in the world as people self-isolate indoors amid the COVID lockdown.

The incident was filmed in the central Chilean capital Santiago which went into lockdown at 1am on 26th March although residents have been self-isolating since before the decree.

Less than two weeks after the first COVID-19 case was reported in the country, the Chilean authorities closed schools on 16th March until May.

Newsflash/@pablocollada

Videos of a one-year-old puma roaming the empty streets of Santiago at night have been shared on social media.

One clip viewed over 80,000 times shows the puma casually strolling along the pavement before running on the road in front of the filming motorist.

Another clip shows the puma crossing the road in front of a stunned driver.

According to local media, the big cat was caught by the authorities and taken to the Chilean National Zoo where it was confirmed to be in good health.

Marcelo Giagnoni, director of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), told local media: “The puma is in a good condition. This is the habitat they used to have long ago and which we have since taken from them.”

The puma will reportedly be kept at the zoo to undergo more tests in the coming days.

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