Lake County’s roads are relatively safe for wildlife — at least that’s the conclusion of a report issued by the UC Davis Road Ecology Center this week.
Volunteer observers registered with the program counted only a few dead birds and small or medium-sized mammals on the highways winding through the area over the past 90 days. By comparision, so-called roadkill “hot spots” around the state are littered with more than 20 carcasses per mile.
The report identifies roadkill by location and species, from iguanas and redwing blackbirds to elk and mountain lions. These are logged into a database known as the California Roadkill Observation System, allowing researches to develop and analyze maps of the devastation.
“These data help identify places where immediate action is warranted,” said Road Ecology Center co-director Fraser Shilling in a statement issued by UC Davis.
Because of the report’s voluntary nature, there are sure to be uncertainties in the findings. Only 40 percent of the state’s highway system is covered by 1,096 registered observers.
Still, the program reveals several places around the state where collisions between vehicles and wildlife are far too common.
On such “hot spot” is Highway 20 in the Lake Mendocino area. Another covers Highway 101 between Willits and Calpella. In these spots observers counted more than 13 dead animals per mile.
According to the data, birds are among the most common victims of cars and trucks traveling the state’s asphalt. Often birds of prey are hit as they target roadkill or small animals along the shoulders.
Collisions with larger animals is generally more devastating to the vehicle and passengers. Statistics from the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans cited by UC Davis include roughly 1,000 accidents each year on state highways alone that involve deer, elk, bears and even livestock.
In November a number of horses escaped their ranch. Five were killed when two cars plowed into the horses at night on Highway 20 near Clear Lake Oaks.
That was an unusual incident. However, the report shows how common collisions are across the state. Shilling suggests the drought may be increasing encounters between vehicles and wildlife, as animals search further for food and water.
