Seeing roadkill is as much a part of the Big Lap as setting up camp or putting fuel in the tank … you just can’t avoid it.
But are grey nomads and other travellers wrong to think that the sight of dead kangaroos, possums and the rest by the side of the road is just an inevitable part of taking the Big Lap?
The plight of the endangered Tasmanian devil is certainly putting the issue firmly in the spotlight. As part of the battle to save the species from an infectious face cancer that has reduced the population hugely, scientists have been releasing healthy devils into the wild.
But their efforts have been hit hard by a major problem – cars, trucks, and motorhomes!
The number of healthy Tasmanian devils killed on roads after being released by the authorities has risen to 18. The Examiner newspaper reports that of the 10 juvenile devils were released on the Forestier Peninsula last week, two have already been killed by motorists.
Authorities have even erected a 1.7 kilometre stretch of ‘virtual fence’ along a roadkill hotspot on the Arthur Highway on the Forestier Peninsula. The idea is that its electronic alarms emit beeps and lights as a car approaches in order to scare wildlife away from roads … but is it enough?
And, of course, it is not just Tasmania. Along the highways and byways across the country, grey nomads are becoming all too used to the sight of wedge-tailed eagles feeding on roadkill, and of bloodied furry corpses rotting in the Australian sun.
In an Editorial, the Examiner newspaper says an increasingly irate section of the Tasmanian community, along with ‘shocked tourists who have never seen such confronting scenes of disembowelled and headless animal corpses’ are demanding action to have roadkill reduced.
But the Editorial insists the answer to stopping this carnage is simple.
“Sow down,” it says. “Especially when driving at night near hotspots for wildlife … just slow down.”
Between Winton and Longreach, every metre there was a dead animal. It makes for gory driving and hard to avoid the carnage left on the road.
In QLD NSW SA WA NT its big trucks who don`t slow down or stop, do shoo roos work? we must try some thing. ben
Hi Ben, this argument is almost as bad as Ford vs Holden.
However my experience in north QLD has been that the Shoo Roos have both been broken off by hitting a small roo. One on either side of the car.
Certainly slowing down to 90kph helps to avoid most roos except the most kamikazi.
Presently in Tasmania and was shocked by the number of Tassie devils killed on the roads. Yesterday a ranger told me as they are scavengers the go onto the road to eat possums etc and unfortunately die. Maybe when you do kill some animal stop and throw it into the bush saving a double tragedy. But be careful, don’t want a triple.