"Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles on highways. It is important because of the loss of wild animals, road safety, and the economic impact on both drivers and road management. For this reason it has increasingly become the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mitigated."-Wikipedia

1. R O A D SS A R V O C H Y A , S P A ( B h o p a l )

2. WHEN ANIMAL MEETS CAR, THE CAR WINS
Linear infrastructure, such as roads, railways, power lines, pipelines, tracks and trails and
the vehicles that travel on them are critical to supporting economic growth and
development. However, the ecological impacts of linear infrastructure and vehicles can be
massive, and usually negative.
The Humane Society of the US and the Urban Wildlife Research Centre have arrived at a
conservative figure of one million animals killed par day on highways
About 350,000 to 27 million birds are estimated to be killed on European roads each
year.
16 deaths every hour: Indian roads claim the maximum number of lives in 2014

3. ROADS THROUGH WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN INDIA
The carcass of an Indian Jackal that was killed in a road
accident on NH 121 that runs through Corbett Tiger Reserve,
and on to New Delhi.
NH 209 bisecting Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary in
Tamil Nadu is a ‘death trap’ for wildlife.
In Karnataka, 9
of the 15
national
highways pass
through
important
wildlife habitats
in the Western
Ghats, while 28
state highways
(out of 151)
pass through
the Ghats.
While returning from Nainital in November 2010

4. Various studies report that Turkey, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Elk, Mountain Lions,
Grizzly Bear, and Black Bear avoid roads. When these animals are disturbed by vehicles,
they waste valuable energy in flight.
SOME HAVE LEARNED THAT ROADS BRING UNPLEASANT
THINGS, SUCH AS PEOPLE WITH GUNS.
Certain bird species also have been found to avoid roads, or the forest edges
associated with roads. In the Netherlands, researchers found some bird species to be
displaced up to 2000 meters from busy highways.
Some species of animals simply refuse to cross barriers as wide as a road. For these
species, a road effectively cuts the population in half. Which leads to demographic
change (i.e., chance variation in age and sex ratios).

5. W H A T C A N B E D O N E ?

6. BHOLU -- THE INDIAN
RAILWAYS MASCOT
In September 2001, the state forest department
organised a workshop for government officials and
NGOs.
Mitigation measures were put on track. Awareness
workshops sensitised railway staff and guards.
Mounds along the tracks were cleared, as was
vegetation on blind bends. Existing water holes on the
southern side were desilted, and new ones created, to
discourage elephant movement. Passengers, too, were
asked not to throw food out of windows, which
attracts animals to the track. Importantly, the
Motichur- Kansrao stretch was declared a special
caution zone, and the railways agreed to reduce
speeds considerably on it. It was the coordination,
cooperation and hard work of all departments—the
forest, railways and an NGO that contributed in
making this effort a success
once a killer track, Rajaji Park has seen no
elephant deaths in six years after this.- between
1987 and march 2002, it took 20 elephants
“THE CALF DIED, BUT THE MOTHER ELEPHANT STOOD BY THE BODY FOR
OVER TWO DAYS, TRYING TO LIFT HER CHILD AND BRING IT BACK TO LIFE.”

7. Mitigation
Alternative roads
Awareness
Right of way
For wildlife
W H A T C A N B E D O N E ?
o
o
o
o

8. R E F E R E N C E S :
http://www.eco-action.org/dt/roads.html
http://www.conservationindia.org/case-studies/safe-passage-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadkill
Google image search “mitigation”
Thank you