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Claims that dolphins and swans have "returned" to the canals of Venice following the city's coronavirus lockdown are false.

A viral tweet showing pictures of animals reclaiming the city's waterways, which are clearer than usual after a slowdown in boat traffic, have been found to be untrue.

National Geographic reported that the original tweet, which has since hit one million likes, was posted Kaveri Ganapathy Ahuja who lives in New Delhi, India.

She said when she posted the photos she was unaware that the swans were already regulars in Burano, a small island in the greater Venice metropolitan area.

Footage of "Venetian" dolphins were actually filmed hundreds of miles away in Sardinia, National Geographic reported.

Earlier this month, Italian Prime Minister Conte ordered a country-wide shutdown forbidding people to leave their homes except for work, health and emergency reasons.

The popular tourist destination has also seen a drop in air pollution since early January.

Footage from the European Space Agency shows a drop in nitrogen dioxide over the past two months, which it says coincides with the nationwide lockdown.

On Monday, the European Union approved a 30 day ban on all non-essential travel to Europe .