Influences on and consequences of wildlife vehicle collisions and roadkill in Australia

Abstract

Wildlife vehicle collisions (WVC) are an increasing global problem as human habitation and related infrastructure progressively encroaches upon wildlife habitat. They can cause human and animal death, injury and suffering, drive threatened animal species to extinction and deplete established animal populations. They require considerable financial resources to manage and can disrupt transport systems. The presence of dead animals resulting from WVC, colloquially called roadkill, that remain strewn across roads and verges, is distressing and unsightly. In areas reliant on tourism income this can have deleterious financial implications. The management of roadkill and injured and orphaned animals from WVC is complex. The rescue, rehabilitation, and release or euthanasia of injured and orphaned animals in Australia is managed by a mainly volunteer workforce of approximately 20,000 wildlife carers. They are self-funded within a state system of legislation, regulation and codes of practice. However, their needs and concerns are poorly understood. There are no national data on animal roadkill victims, the long-term viability of the wildlife carer system, the physical, financial and mental wellbeing of wildlife carers, the effect on conservation and animal welfare of the release of rehabilitated and hand-reared animals back to the wild, or the efficacy of technical innovation applied to roadkill mitigation systems. This presents a gap in the knowledge required for focussed and comprehensive decision-making on support for wildlife carer networks, roadkill mitigation measures and changes in wildlife regulations. One Welfare is an emerging term. The concept refers to animal welfare, human welfare and environmental sustainability. Roadkill can be placed in the concept of One Welfare as it affects humans, animals and the environment. The current thesis investigates these effects and the management of Australian roadkill, and injured and orphaned animals across five studies.