With the holiday season more people take to the roads, and the risk of wildlife becoming roadkill increases. Drivers are urged to slow down and report any roadkill using the Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app.
Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania Wildlife Biologist, Samantha Fox said the data collected through the Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app provides valuable insights for road owners and managers, helping to reduce roadkill across the state.
“It is very difficult to consider mitigation strategies for roadkill without having data to show you where the problem roads or hotspots are.
The roadkill app is our best chance of collecting data with the help of people driving on our roads every day. Consider showing your kids how to use the app so they can log roadkill while you are driving”, Dr. Fox said.
“Over the past year almost 2000 animals had been reported using the app. More than half of them were pademelons and Bennett’s wallabies,” she said.
“The most common species reported through the app were pademelons, wallabies, brush-tailed possum, Tasmanian devils and common wombats.
Prevention is always better than a cure. We urge drivers to slow down, especially between dusk and dawn, or avoid driving during this time. Every reduced kilometre per hour helps protect our amazing Tasmanian wildlife and prevent roadkill”.
The Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app should only be used when safe to do so. It is illegal to touch your mobile phone while driving or waiting at traffic lights.
For more information and to download the app visit our Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app webpage.