Wildlife & Traffic
10 Maintenance of ecological assets on transport linear infrastructure
Contents
Management of road killed animals
INSPECTION TASKS
To check
- A road survey for carcass recording and removal procedure is in place, to avoid attraction of scavengers, a risk of carcass-vehicle collision and to facilitate appropriate carcass disposal.
- Platforms and verges are explored when searching for carcasses, particularly in AVC hotspots.
- The procedure for data recording includes the identification of the species when possible, particularly for most relevant target species in each site.
- Periodic additional surveys of small fauna carcasses are planned where required, and undertaken by experts to obtain reliable data of small animals mortality.
- Coordination is established with traffic police, environmental authorities or any other organisation which record roadkill in the same area to compile all data gathered > See Sheet 18.
SPECIFIC MAINTENANCE TASKS
To do
- Apply best practice for collection and disposal
- Provide appropriate clothing and equipment to field crews to ensure hygienic conditions.
- Ensure large carcasses such as deer or wild boar, are more easily collected from platforms and verges by providing cranes, hoists or other special equipment on vehicles.
- Dispose of carcasses according to national regulations. Be aware of particular sanitary requirements, e.g. countries affected by African Swine Fever impose strict biosafety conditions for wild boar collection and disposal.
- Register accurate data of all AVC and carcasses
- Record accurate data from carcasses and AVC to allow the identification of hotspots and application of mitigation measures to reduce risk > see Sheet 18.
- Provide field crews with devices to record data from AVC and carcasses, including accurate geographical position and photographs to allow further identification.
- Maintain field crew awareness
- Keep crew engagement by updating knowledge on animal road kill including the provision of user friendly field guides to help with species identification.
SCHEDULE
- Inspections should be undertaken earlier in the morning as roadkill frequently happens during the night.
- Define appropriate frequency according to target species’ behaviour.
- Adapt seasonal and road section schedules according to analyses of available data on AVC occurrence.
Maintenance of ecological assets on transport linear infrastructure