Shopping centre Greensborough Plaza, known to locals as Greensy, is usually the scene for weekend family shopping trips and recreational drug deals. But the current coronavirus lockdown is having an unintended effect as local wildlife returns to areas they once roamed freely.
One who has witnessed this return of the wild is keychain stall owner and essential worker, Anthony Camira. He said, “We first started to see the odd curious lizard, then came the flocks of cockatoos descending on John’s Nuts. When the dingos took over the Foot Locker I knew something weird was up”.
While the humans are self-isolating the empty malls have seen an array of native species venturing further into the centre and making themselves at home. “I’ve seen hordes of kangaroos in the Kmart, echidnas waddling past JB Hifi, and once I even saw a wombat riding the escalators,” said Mr Camira. “In the past I thought the gangs of teenagers were bad, but the possums are loitering in the food court like hoodlums. You can’t go near that place without getting hissed at. It’s their food court now.”
On a positive note, local conservationists were pleased at the sighting of a large wedge-tailed eagle nest inside the Smiggle outlet. Hikers wanting to get a glimpse of any of the wildlife are warning to watch out for the cassowary roaming the third level.
What was previously the domain of humans is no longer so clear cut. With restrictions set to be eased in the near future, it’s yet to be seen who will win the coming battle for territorial dominance.
