Latest news with #roadkill
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Roadkill is costing Australians thousands. Could virtual fencing be the answer?
Lindy Butcher is up all throughout the night bottle-feeding some unexpected babies. The ACT Wildlife volunteer is caring for two wombats — Midge and Claire, just weeks old — rescued when their mothers were fatally hit by cars. Ms Butcher knows the cost of roadkill up close, having cared for thousands of injured animals over 30 years. "They would have been fox or bird food within a couple of hours." However, Ms Butcher isn't angry — she knows most collisions between vehicles and wildlife are accidents. "I feel sorry for people who have hit a big animal with their car because usually they haven't done anything wrong," she said. "The animal has leapt out in front of their car, scared the tripe out of them, damaged their car and then the poor animal has died or is injured. It's a problem." It's an issue with a big price tag. Every year, more than 7,000 insurance claims are made after collisions with kangaroos, with Huddle Insurance estimating damage from those crashes cost Australians more than $28 million in repairs and $6 million in excess payments. Two hours from Canberra, Eurobodalla Shire Council (ESC) trialled a virtual fence along a strip of road north of Batemans Bay in 2023. Green fence posts, distributed every 25 metres, form a virtual fence along the roadside, sensing approaching vehicles and emitting a light and beep. It is designed to warn wildlife about oncoming traffic and make animals pause before they step out and become startled by the blinding headlights of an oncoming car. The technology works best with vehicles travelling at up to 80 kilometres per hour. ESC reported incidents down from five per week to just five in the first year. Mayor Mat Hatcher said the fence cost $10,000 per kilometre to install, but he said it reduced insurance claims by drivers, council staff call outs and wildlife deaths. "It's a great return on investment for the ratepayer," he said. ESC has since installed virtual fences at two more locations in the shire and has allocated money in the annual budget to keep installing more fences. "For areas with a lot of wildlife, especially late at night when the roads are dark, it's been fantastic for us," Cr Hatcher said. Save Canberra's Kangaroos' Aisha Bottrill read about the success of the trial on the south coast and wants the fences installed in Canberra, where she often pulls over to tend to injured or dead kangaroos on the roadside. She started a petition hoping for a virtual fence trial on the road she commutes along twice daily. "Something needs to be done about it for the safety of the wildlife and for the safety of people who use that road." She said drivers had become desensitised to signage urging them to slow down for wildlife. "We need to put something in place that will deter animals from crossing the road if we can't deter drivers from slowing down in high-risk times," she said. "We live in the bush capital and we're so lucky to share our homes and backyards with so much wildlife. It's devastating to see so many injured kangaroos and not see anything done about it." Ms Butcher said 70 per cent of the incidents reported to the ACT Wildlife hotline were for collisions with birds, which would not be stopped by the fence. She said attempts to reduce roadkill also needed to include planting more trees so animals could move along the canopy without needing to come to the ground. But Ms Butcher would love to see the fences trialled in the ACT. "If we could even just reduce the number of wombats, wallabies, kangaroos and possums hit by cars, that would be great," she said. "It would be great to see something like that here.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Multiple geese apparently run over, community member calls for action
WICHITA, Kan (KSNW) — Monday morning, Cylie Gillespie was one of a few to discover a 'disgusting' scene. Along McLean Street lay around half a dozen geese and goslings just feet from each other, and clearly, they had been run over. Roadkill on Wichita's streets is not uncommon. It was the way these geese were spaced along the street that caused Gillespie to pause her morning drive to work. 'Being that I've lived by the river for so long, you know I have seen geese hit, whether it's one or a couple. But what caught my eye was that there were so many of them and they were feet apart from each other,' Gillespie said. Stopping for geese is a fact of life for commutes in the city, and by extension, so is roadkill. But killing a goose, especially intentionally, can come with a hefty fine. Canada Geese, like those laying on McLean, are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918. Family of teen injured after pickup truck crashes into home speaks out 'Those birds are federally protected for a reason,' she said. The treaty's goal is to encourage a sustained population of all migratory bird species. For Gillespie, it also highlights a more local issue of speeding in the area. 'People might think this is a laughing matter, and nature doesn't matter and wildlife doesn't matter and it matters to people who care,' she said. 'Even at Riverside Park, people don't follow the speed limit, and there are children and other animals, and people choose to fly through here.' As for the geese killed along McLean, she hopes this comes as a wake-up call. 'Why can't we slow down? Why can't we find patience in life to do better as people?! Gillespie said. 'They were simply crossing the street, hoping people would stop for them and have some empathy and patience.' Gillespie says she would like stricter enforcement of speed limits and a wildlife crossing sign to go up in the area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Malay Mail
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Wildlife roadkill crisis demands urgent action to protect Malaysia's biodiversity — Kasthuri Patto
MAY 13 — Actively investing resources now to safeguard wildlife at crossings to ensure sustainability for our future generations. 'If we do not do something to help these creatures, we make a mockery of the whole concept of justice.' Jane Goodall, animal rights and climate change activist. The whole country was left shattered, heartbroken and depressed with pictures and videos of a mother elephant that stayed for 5 hours next to the lorry that claimed the life of her little calf, refusing to leave his side. She had to be tranquillised and moved to make way for clearing works. This caused a national outpouring of tears and sympathy for not only the elephant but also for the fate of wildlife in Malaysia – especially those that had perished as roadkill. The whole country was left shattered, heartbroken and depressed with pictures and videos of a mother elephant that stayed for 5 hours next to the lorry that claimed the life of her little calf, refusing to leave his side. Yesterday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability stated that a total of 2361 wild animals have been killed by vehicles since 2020 – an average of 44 animals killed per month and an average of one per day! While it is commendable animal crossing pathways will be part of new major infrastructure projects like the ECRL, and possibly in other areas, exploring alternative solutions that have been tried and tested is a must at this point. In the European Union policy for energy, climate change and environment, a 'practical support' solution to minimise vehicle-bear collisions collectively shared by Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain through tangible and workable solutions produced almost zero animal fatalities and in some areas, a 90 per cent decrease in animal roadkill. Some of these proposals were radio tagging bears to study their movement and to identify priority crossings areas, to monitor high risk roads and crossing points, traffic volume and vehicle speed, to build and monitor underpasses, flyover animal crossings with camera traps, to install animal-vehicle prevention systems (AVC/PSs) in high risk areas such as animal detection systems that will activate flashlights or warning noises to drivers and to scare of animals from the side of the roads, changes in driver behaviours like driving at reduced speed especially at night at areas known for animal activity, virtual fences with acoustic and visual deterrent sensors using high beams when appropriate, smart roadside infrastructure to detect large animals near the road, creating a geographic database or geodatabase to track wildlife road mortality including through developing a hybrid app that allows users to report animal deaths, sightings near roads to aim public awareness. All these efforts have significantly reduced bear mortality to zero in over 4 years on the Egnatia Highway and 90 per cent of drivers reduced speed in response to the newly installed warning signs. These initiatives were funded by the LIFE Programme which is EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action. It is not too late for Malaysia to invest in the same – federal ministries and state agencies must work together in not only coughing up funds but to also expedite long term solutions proposed by Government agencies. Additionally, it is also our responsibility as road users to practise caution, care, love and respect for our wildlife when travelling. Enforcement alone is not enough. Malaysia is 5 years away from fulfilling its SDG pledges including SDG 15 which is Life on Land and SDG 14 Life Below Water, it is undeniable that many SDGs are intertwined with animal welfare and biodiversity. Perhaps SDG18 on Zero Animal Exploitation which is in the works is the future of wildlife conservation. We must be part of the solution and it must happen in our generation to see it through. A generation committed, devoted and responsible to safeguard our wildlife in Malaysia. Kasthuri Patto DAP CEC member DAP International Secretary DAP Women Vice Chairperson * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Malay Mail
13-05-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Saving lives on the Gerik-Jeli Highway by putting wildlife first — Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran
MAY 13 — On the early morning of May 11, 2025, Malaysians awoke to heartbreaking footage of an elephant calf lying motionless on the Gerik-Jeli Highway while its grieving mother attempted to rouse it. The calf, fatally struck by a poultry lorry at KM80 of the highway, was the latest in a disturbing trend of wildlife-vehicle collisions plaguing the Belum-Temengor landscape. This must be the wake-up call that finally drives urgent and lasting change. The statistics over the past five years speak for themselves. Between 2016 and 2021, over 2,500 animals were killed by vehicles on Malaysian roads, including at least 102 Malayan tapirs and six Malayan tigers in the last two years alone. The East-West Highway, which cuts through the heart of Belum-Temengor, has become a hotspot for these tragedies. In recent months, tiger and elephant fatalities have risen sharply, with multiple incidents along the same highway where this elephant calf perished. This is not just a loss of life, but a failure in policy. The Belum-Temengor forest complex is one of Southeast Asia's most critical biodiversity strongholds. It harbours the last remaining populations of endangered megafauna such as the Malayan tiger, Asian elephant, sun bear, and Malayan tapir, and is home to more than 3,000 species of plants. This large, forested landscape also forms a vital transboundary corridor with Thailand, enabling genetic exchange for wide-ranging species. While authorities have responded by installing signage and solar-powered lighting at some known elephant crossings, such interventions are insufficient. Fog, poor road lighting, and the nocturnal nature of many animals make visibility low. Worse, artificial lighting risks disturbing wildlife behaviour. Suggestions like building overpasses or underpasses may work in theory but are financially and topographically impractical in this mountainous terrain. The truth is simple: engineering alone cannot solve this crisis. The Belum-Temengor forest complex harbours the last remaining populations of endangered megafauna such as the Malayan tiger, Asian elephant, sun bear, and Malayan tapir — Picture from Unsplash/Jeffrey Hamilton We must change our behaviour. We propose an immediate night-time ban on heavy vehicles using the Gerik-Jeli Highway. Most collisions, including the latest fatal elephant incident, occur between midnight and 5am, when wildlife activity is high. Restricting truck movements during these hours would eliminate the deadliest risks. India's Bandipur Tiger Reserve implemented such a ban and saw an 80 per cent drop in wildlife deaths. Malaysia can follow suit. Further, road usage must be optimised. Poultry and construction transport can be rerouted via alternate logistics, especially with the East Coast Rail Link nearing completion. It is also high time that east coast states expanded their own poultry industry to meet local demands and reduce reliance on west coast supply. In the meantime, traffic scheduling, designated lay-bys, and convoy driving protocols could be introduced to reduce risk. For buses and public transport, speed limiters and trip quotas should be enforced to ensure safety. Enforcement can be supported by gantry-based vehicle monitoring and automatic speed detection. Technology can help. Drones equipped with thermal cameras can detect wildlife near roadways, triggering warning signs. Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and AI tools can enable real-time monitoring of animal movement and poaching threats. These tools are affordable, effective, and faster to deploy than physical infrastructure. Funding these efforts is feasible through Malaysia's Ecological Fiscal Transfer (EFT) mechanism, which rewards states for conservation action. With a RM250 million allocation in the 2025 federal budget, this is a powerful tool to channel support into regions like Belum-Temengor. Funds should be directed to law enforcement, night patrolling, smart monitoring systems, and public awareness campaigns. We are at a tipping point. The Gerik-Jeli Highway must be reimagined not just as a road for human commerce, but as a shared corridor with wildlife. If we act boldly now — with science, policy, and compassion — we can prevent more lives from being lost, both human and animal. Let us not allow another elephant calf to die in vain. * Dr Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran is a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan and is the project lead for 'Securing the resiliency and sustainability of Royal Belum Forest against theimpact of climate change' ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
