You’ve seen the stories – “Nature is healing,” they claim.

Of course, many of the accompanying photos were misleading – or even fabrications. Venetian canals weren’t full of dolphins. And the water ran clear because there were no gondolas to stir up sediment.

There were no elephant break-ins at Chinese cornfields – at least not beyond the usual ones.

As people who don’t believe in fact-checking celebrated the “return of nature” around the world, hilarious memes popped up to shine some light on how not everything you read on the Internet (no matter how inspirational) is real.

with everyone on lockdown, the lime scooters are finally returning to the river. nature is healing, we are the virus. pic.twitter.com/I0IbCfiMnj

— ronnie mcdonnie (@taladorei) March 26, 2020

But that doesn’t mean that the animals haven’t come out to play at all. With people inside, some animals have poked their heads back into spaces we had formerly chased them out of (although sometimes it’s in a desperate quest for food, not leisure).

Of course, they’re in for a rude awakening once quarantine rules are lifted. At that point, the stories will seem a lot less heartwarming.

But in the meantime, people have been sharing photos of wild creatures in places we’re not always used to seeing them.

Here are some of our favorites (that haven’t been debunked):

1. Coyote tourist

Not only is this photo of a coyote chilling at a popular tourist spot in San Francisco real, but there are also plenty of other similar photos of these creatures taking back the streets.

They’re solitary animals and don’t attack unprovoked, but luckily everyone has managed to zoom in on them from a safe distance.

2. “Tree” fox

It’s not terribly uncommon to find foxes in your yard if you live near the woods, but they’re not usually so keen to sleep out in the open like this.

Apparently, the furry girl even leaves to go hunting and returns to her new favorite spot pretty frequently.

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the sweetest lil fox sleeping on a tree stump in my parent’s backyard 🥺🥺 pic.twitter.com/nDlHrgdmfH

— Sara Ryan (@SaraReneeRyan) March 17, 2020

3. Meandering mountain lions

Ok, so plenty of people have pointed out that Boulder is not far from where the wild things roam and seeing a mountain lion pre-quarantine is not unheard of.

Still, we might re-think our evening walks (especially with our pets) if we lived in this neighborhood.

Mountain lions moving back into boulder during lockdown. from r/aww

4. Sheep playing in the park

Apparently, sheep know how to use playground equipment, we’ve just never given them the chance!

The best part is that there are multiple videos of the creatures playing on roundabouts. Even the BBC has confirmed a sighting.

5. Shopping gator

This South Carolina alligator is getting its Christmas shopping done early now that he doesn’t have to wait in long lines.

We had no idea they even celebrated the holiday!

6. For their convenience

Nara, Japan is known for its beautiful and tame deer. But one thing you don’t normally see them do is stop by the local 7-11.

But with no one around to tell them what to do (or feed them in the parks when they normally roam), it looks like they’re keen to pick out their own snacks.

7. Barcelona boars

Wild boars have come out of their mountain hideaways and have been spotted strolling through the deserted streets of Barcelona.

This is not a city that normally sees wild animals in public spaces, though boars have become pests in other parts of Europe.

Coronavirus in Catalonia — Boars descend from the mountains to the very center of Barcelona, after several days of people being locked at homepic.twitter.com/6IRFzl2cKz

— Alfons López Tena (@alfonslopeztena) March 19, 2020

8. Ivy League turkey

While people have said this isn’t the first wild turkey they’ve seen roaming around Cambridge, Massachusetts, this guy appears to be chilling on the wrong side of the fence.

And why not? With all the students gone, no one else is using Harvard Square.

View this post on Instagram

Wildlife is taking over Harvard Square 🦃 #socialdistancing #turkey #wildturkey #harvardsquare

A post shared by Julie Schultz (@julieschultz79) on Apr 1, 2020 at 3:48pm PDT

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While we shouldn’t assume these animals haven’t been nearby all along, it does appear that in some cases they are getting bolder.

And while it’s reasonable to want to celebrate nature in all its glory, it’s important to remember the rude awakening these animals are in for as humans return to the streets.

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