Don't Look

It has become David's most frequently used phrase as we drive through Tasmania, "Don't look."

I can't help it.  Along every stretch of road... along every kilometer, it seems... we see a dead "skippy," a kangaroo, wallaby, or pademelon.  We have realistically seen more wombats and Tasmanian Devils dead than alive.  All have been the result of roadkill.  I wish I could turn my head, but I can't.  It's too distressing to see such a waste of wildlife.

When we visited the Devils@Cradle, the Tasmanian Devil sanctuary at the Cradle Mountain National Park, our young guide spoke about the crisis with the Devils in the Tasmania wild.  Devil numbers have plummeted with the contagious facial tumor cancer, but he alluded to more.  He said that Australia has lost more animals to extinction than any other country the world and feared the Devils would be next on the list.  A further internet check confirmed his statement.  The Australian Conservation Federation concluded in 2018 that Australia has lost 29 animals to extinction, more than any other country (compared to one extinction in the USA).

Our guide was focused on Tasmanian Devil populations.  He told us they have plummeted 80 percent from over 150,000 in 1996 to less than 10,000 to 25,000 in the wild in 2018.  They are now on the endangered list.  While the facial tumor disease is rampant, the secondary loss of Tasmanian Devils is to roadkill.  Tasmanian Devils are scavengers.  With so many animals killed on Tasmania's road, the Devils find easy meals there and often end up as roadkill themselves.

As an example, in 2015, 39 captive-bred Devils were released south of Dunalley.  The Mercury reports that one in four have died because of roadkill.  Also in 2015, six Devils who had been inoculated with a new vaccine designed to combat the spread of the deadly facial tumor disease (at a cost of $25,000 each) ended up as roadkill.  The Save the Tasmanian Devil Program estimates 350 Devils become roadkill each year.

As a result of our young guide's remarks, we, unfortunately have discovered a terrible truth about Tasmania.  It has been dubbed the "Roadkill Capital of the World," losing over 500,000 (yes... a half a million) animals to roadkill each year.  This number is made even worse when considering that Tasmania's Department of State Growth lists only 400,181 drivers in all of Tasmania in April 2019.

In a 2015 Off Track article, Ann Jones writes, "Per kilometer, more animals die on Tasmanian roads than anywhere else in the world.  But unlike when abuses have been exposed in the live export trade, there has been no national outrage." She continued, "On average, 32 animals are killed every hour on Tasmanian roads."

Efforts have been launched to curb the horrible loss of animal life.  The Save the Tasmanian Devil Roadkill Project, the Royal Auto Club, and the Wilderness Society of Tasmania have all launched awareness campaigns.  Near several national parks, we encountered signs for motorists to slow down between dusk and dawn.

Roadkill caution in Tasmania

In certain areas, we have also seen signs indicating habitat for devils, wombats, koalas, and echidnas.

Habitat caution in Tasmania

While driving so many of Tasmanian roads, we have also discovered that their road infrastructure contributes to the roadkill problem.  Most Tasmania roads are narrow and windy.  There are no shoulders and barely room for two normal-sized cars to pass side by side.  These narrow roads provide no notice for motorists to see animals along the roadside.Yet the speed limit is the same for all non-urban areas... 100 kpm... whether it is a four-lane motorway or back country road.

A dear friend tells us that the recent Australian drought has also contributed to the increase in roadkill because many of the skippies are drawn to the green grass and increased moisture along roadways.

Roadkill numbers are so high in Tasmania that many communities have "roo patrols" to pull dead animals off roadsides.  Concerned citizens have told us they often stop and kick dead animals off the roads to "save their Tassie Devils."

Of course, the roadkill tragedy becomes even greater when humans also die in vehicle/animal collisions.  The only statistic I found was between 2000 and 2010.  During those yeas, 18 Australians were killed when their vehicles struck animals.

What's a Tasmanian motorist to do to keep themselves safe and help prevent the tremendous loss of animal life on the road?

• Slow down.  A 20-percent reduction in speed reduces roadkill by 50 percent.  Dr. Alistar Hobday, a marine scientist who also researches roadkill in Tasmania, says "Your reaction time when you're driving at a 100 kilometers an hour is such that you probably need 60 to 80 meters to stop the vehicle if you were to avoid a collision.  If you were traveling at 50 to 60 kilometers an hour, your stopping distance is somewhere between 30 to 40 meters."
• If at all possible, don't drive during dusk and dawn when many of Tasmania's animals are most active.  
• Install "kangaroo whistles" in your vehicle.  These sonic devices, many costing less than $8, emit a high-pitched sound audible by animals, often deterring them from entering the highway.  Our rented camper van came equipped with these, and Apollo has told us they have had a decrease in animal/vehicle collisions because of them.  We also use them in the States to deter deer on our roads.  The key, again, is to slow down.  These devices are only effective if the animal has an opportunity to respond to its warning sounds.  Do they work?  Hydro Tasmania fleet manager Alan Johnson reported a 70% reduction in accident damage cost relating to animal strikes since 2002 after installing Shuroo devices.  The Australian Railroad Group reported a 95% reduction in kangaroo incidents after Shuroo installations.

Please, Tasmania...  I beg you to rally together, to get the word out, to get outraged... to do whatever is necessary to join together to stop the carnage of your wonderful animals.  The world and I are watching.