News
Roadkills: A pressing wildlife concern
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
It was a misty morning in Haputale on mid-February and Prof. Kapila Dissanaike was passing the Thangamale stretch when he spotted an animal lying lifeless on the side of road. Prof. Dissanaike had seen numerous roadkills while driving, but the soft goldenness of the bushy tail of this animal grabbed his attention, so he stopped the vehicle and walked to inspect the carcass.
“I was saddened to find that it was a golden palm civet, an endemic and threatened species in Sri Lanka”, Prof. Dissanaike told the Sunday Times. This civet is an elusive, nocturnal mammal. Recognised for its golden-brown fur and arboreal habits, it is often a victim of road accidents.
This unfortunate event is just one among many that claim the lives of Sri Lanka’s wildlife, including threatened and endemic species. As the country’s road network expands, and the road conditions become better allowing drivers to speed, wildlife roadkill is becoming an increasingly pressing conservation issue- worldwide claiming billions of lives.
Any roads passing through wildlife-rich areas have little regulation, allowing vehicles to travel at high speeds, increasing the chances of collisions. Nocturnal animals including all the civet species, smaller cats like the fishing cat, the rusty spotted cat and even jackal that become more active at night when visibility is low for drivers, have a high risk of becoming victims of roadkill.
Smaller creatures, especially reptiles and amphibians, are also frequent victims that get squashed without even getting noticed, says Sameera Suranjan, a herpetologist who has conducted research on roadkills on several stretches of road.
Sameera Suranjan and his team conducted a research a few years ago only focusing on reptile mortality on a 3km stretch of a highway crossing Nilgala Forest Area (NFA), a savanna-dominated forest in Nilgala, eastern Sri Lanka. A total of 72 species of herpetofauna including 53 reptiles and 19 amphibians were recorded as road kills- of which 19 species (26.3%) are endemic to Sri Lanka and 22 species (30.5%) are threatened nationally. A total of 552 road killed individuals (23.6% of tetrapod reptiles, 40.2% of serpentoid reptiles and 36.2% amphibians) were recorded over 48 days.
Sadly, not only smaller creatures, but the giants of the land – the elephants- too are victims of vehicle accidents. The accident involving popular actor Jackson Anthony was testimony to the fact that jumbos are not spared by accidents.
Another recent study highlighted that highways near protected areas, such as Udawalawe and Yala National Parks, see a particularly high number of animal fatalities. Camera traps placed near roadsides have captured images of animals hesitating before crossing, indicating their awareness of danger but also their limited options for safe passage.
Research has also revealed seasonal patterns, with monsoons increasing amphibian roadkills and dry seasons leading to more mammal casualties as they search for water sources across roads.
Meanwhile, Mendis Wickremasinghe, a renowned herpetologist in Sri Lanka, notes a decline in roadkill incidents. However, he cautions that this may simply reflect a decrease in the population of the affected species. If people can spare more thought for wildlife, then many more lives can be saved, Mr. Wickremasinghe told the Sunday Times.
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