Roadkill
Road fauna or Roadkill is a scientific term describing animals rode over by vehicles on roads and freeways. James Simmons' classic work Feathers and Fur on the Turnpike was published in 1938.
Research
The Simmons Society was founded by Professor Roger M. Knutson of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa to further studies of road fauna. Professor Knutson also published a book called "Common Animals of Roads, Street, and Highway: A Field Guide To Flattened Fauna."
The number of road fauna present on a given stretch of freeway is said to follow a Poisson distribution.
Breakdown by species
In 1993, 25 schools throughout New England participated in a roadkill study involving 1923 animal deaths. By category, the fatalities were
- 82% mammals
- 15% birds
- 3% reptiles and amphibians
Extrapolating this data nationwide, Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People Newspaper estimated that the following animals are being killed by motor vehicles annually:
- 41 million squirrels
- 26 million cats
- 22 million rats
- 19 million opossums
- 15 million raccoons
- 6 million dogs
- 350,000 deer
Michigan roadkill analysis
In 1994, Michigan reported 56,666 deer collisions, of which five resulted in human fatalities, according to Mark Matthew Braunstein of the Santa Cruz Hub. The problem is so pervasive that, according to an article by Hank Pellissier of the San Francisco Chronicle, Michigan uses roadkill statistics to determine its deer population.
Roadkill prevention
Vehicle/animal collisions have many negative consequences:
- Personal injury
- Vehicular damage
- Hampering of endangered species recovery
- Injury or death of pets
Lost pet skunks are particularly vulnerable since they lack a sense of direction and cannot see objects more than about 3 meters away with any clarity.
Wildlife crossings
Wildlife crossings reconnnect habitats, allowing animals to cross roads safely. They are widely used in Europe, where efforts to protect wildlife have involved underpasses, amphibian tunnels, and tunnels for small mammals such as otters, hedgehogs, and badgers. The Humane Society reports that the more than 600 tunnels installed under both major and minor roads in the Netherlands have helped to substantially increase population levels of the endangered European badger.
Evidence shows that placement of the structures is critical, since animals will not use passages that are not placed along existing habitat corridors. Well-maintained fences along the highway rights-of-way are critical to guiding wildlife to the structures while restricting their access to the highway itself. The U.S. has recent begun experimenting with its own wildlife crossings.
However, they are not always effective. For instance, a study by the University of Calgary suggests the animal overpasses in Banff National Park aren't working. Their research shows the overpasses don't help the animals that really need it. Parks Canada spent millions building special animal overpasses and underpasses so animals could cross the highway safely. Roadkill numbers are down and deer and elk use them regularly. But UC researchers say bears and wolves are not using them and are still getting hit.
Advocacy
The Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation is an example of an organization advocating roadkill prevention.
Sources
- Driving Animals to Their Graves by Mark Matthew Braunstein, Santa Cruz Hub.
- The Art of Dead Mice by Hank Pellissier, San Francisco Chronicle.
- Wildlife Crossings—Wild Animals and Roads by the Humane Society.