The global pandemic has left many of us scrambling to come to terms with a new reality, one occupied with terms like ‘distancing’ and ‘quarantine’.

And while many of us have been adjusting to life inside for over a month now, outdoor wildlife has been doing some adjustments of its own. And it seems as though many animals are adjusting rather well without the presence of humans during the coronavirus outbreak.

Stories and videos have flooded social media in recent weeks, illustrating citings of animals occupying public places they wouldn’t otherwise.

With a lack of human intrusion, animals have taken every opportunity to explore, and in some cases, reclaim the land.

Such is the case for a pride of lions in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

The country has been in lockdown since March 25 in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the virus. As one of the largest game reserves in Africa, the wildlife contained within has been taking a moment to enjoy life without the constant and looming presence of tourists.

Park ranger Richard Sowry has snapped some shots of the local lions taking advantage of the peace and quiet.

The park has been uploading the details to their Twitter account, sharing shots of the lions lounging right in the middle of the very vacant park roads. Sowry is considered an essential worker during the crisis while he manages the wildlife and guards their safety against poachers.

While making his rounds one day he came upon the pride taking a nap on the road and stopped to document the rare sight from inside his vehicle. Sowry told BBC:

“Lions are used to people in vehicles. All animals have much more of an instinctive fear of people on foot, so if I had walked up they would never have allowed me to get so close.”

He said the oldest lioness in that particular pride is about 14 years old, so she’s very used to seeing cars and tourists. While he’s seen the lions seek the comfort of the warm tar on winter nights, it’s truly an uncommon sight for this time of year.

Ike Phaahla, a spokesperson for Kruger National Park, told CBS:

“They are nocturnal animals and it is not unusual for them to sleep during the day, what is unusual is the utilization of the tarred road because normally if there is traffic, they would not be using the tarred road.”

The incredible photographs reflect a very relaxed group of big cats, basking in the moment. The pride is pictured sprawled across the entire road, taking delight in the sun with a proper nap.

Phaahla likewise commented:

“Normally they would be in the bushes because of the traffic but they are very smart and now they are enjoying the freedom of the park without us.”

And while the day will come where quarantine will end, for now, these lions are welcoming and enjoying their newly expanded habitats.

Check out Kruger National Park’s Twitter post below and be sure to follow along for updates!

Kruger visitors that tourists do not normally see. #SALockdown This lion pride are usually resident on Kempiana Contractual Park, an area Kruger tourists do not see. This afternoon they were lying on the tar road just outside of Orpen Rest Camp.
📸Section Ranger Richard Sowry pic.twitter.com/jFUBAWvmsA

— Kruger National Park (@SANParksKNP) April 15, 2020

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Sources: CNN Travel, CBS News, BBC, Twitter/Kruger National Park