An important Wildlife Collision Prevention Program goal has been to increase public awareness of the issue of wildlife vehicle accidents, and to provide useful information that enables drivers to adjust their driving habits and be safer on the road.
Radio Ads
A series of radio advertisements have been developed to provide wildlife collision prevention information directly to motorists. The ads have been tailored to provide species specific behavioural information for moose, deer and bighorn sheep in high crash areas and also during fall and winter conditions.
Bighorn Sheep
This 30 second ad focuses on raising the awarness of motorists in the east Kootenays to the presence of bighorn sheep on the highways during the winter months. This ad aired in the Revelstoke, Golden, Invermere and Radium Hot Springs area in November and December 2011.
Sheep move to the valley bottoms during the winter so that they have access to forage that is not covered with as much snow as in higher elevations.
Bighorn sheep are also attracted to the road and roadside area by road salt and can often be seen licking the road surface.
Bighorn sheep generally bed down at night so the highest risk times for collisions are during the low light hours of dawn and dusk and during the daytime.
You can listen to the bighorn sheep radio ad by clicking on the link below.
Bighorn Sheep Collision Ad [MP3 - 737kb]
Moose
These 30 second ads incorporate regionally specific data from the University of Northern British Columbia research on wildlife collisions. The ads play through central and northern BC in January.
Mike Gouchie, a country music recording artist, was involved in a moose collision in July 2007, just south of Prince George. He had previously been in a moose collision several years ago in which his best friend was killed. Mike generously donated his time and talent to record 3 moose collision ads for the series.
The message is "Slow down and give wildlife and yourself a brake!"
You can listen to the radio ads by clicking on the links below.
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #1 [MP3 - 947kb] Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #2 [MP3 - 475kb] Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #3 [MP3 - 475kb] Wildlife Ad #2 [MP3 - 750kb] Wildlife Ad #3 [MP3 - 953kb] Wildlife Ad #4 [MP3 - 953kb]
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #1 [MP3 - 947kb]
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #2 [MP3 - 475kb]
Moose Collision Ad Gouchie #3 [MP3 - 475kb]
Wildlife Ad #2 [MP3 - 750kb]
Wildlife Ad #3 [MP3 - 953kb]
Wildlife Ad #4 [MP3 - 953kb]
Rest Stop Signs
A major intiative has been to locate informational signs at rest stop areas throughout BC. Signs locations are:
More installations are planned in northeast BC.
Billboards
Another project has been to place billboards with a safety message in high risk locations on BC's highways.
The billboards say: "Watch for Wildlife - Use Caution!" and are intended to remind drivers to pay attention to the more traditional wildlife warning signs on the highway, and to continue to watch out for wildlife on the road. Collision prone areas in the province determined the locations of the billboards, which will be in place during the high risk times of the year.
Billboards have been located in several locations throughout BC; west of Dawson Creek; east of Fernie; east of Grand Forks; west of Chase, south of Radium Hot Springs, south of Fairmont Hot Springs and along the Alaska Highway.
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A local trucking company in Prince George has enlisted the help of some young artists to help remind its drivers about the dangers of moose on the highway.
Landtran Logistics manager Brian Stoppler wanted his truckers to get the message with the extra punch that can only be delivered by children.
"Our trucks, unfortunately, whack quite a few moose," he said. " I told my wife, (the principal of Pinewood Elementary School,) that we had to do something different, rather than the standard safety sign."
Twenty-two kids in the Grade One class worked in pairs and individually to produce 19 paintings featuring moose. Lynda Stoppler, the principal, said her little charges definitely believed the danger faced by drivers and moose alike, and relished their contributions to highway safety. Brian Stoppler said it is impossible to measure the true impact the child's touch will have on the drivers, but "there was a lot of laughter".
The paintings run down the hallways from the front entrance at Landtran around into their cargo bays, so the drivers can't miss seeing them.
Excerpted from The Prince George Citizen; Friday, March 17, 2006, written by Frank Peebles.
Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council Symposium
March 12-15, 2012
Kamloops, BC
The Northern Wild Sheep and Goat Council will hold it’s 18th biennial symposium 12-15 March 2012, in Kamloops, British Columbia. We invite submission of contributed papers and posters on topics related to wild sheep and mountain goat conservation and management. Presentations will be published in the symposium proceedings. All contributed papers (oral presentations) will be scheduled for 20 minutes, which will include time for questions.
For more information go to the Wild Sheep Society website
IENE 2012 International Conference
October 21-24, 2012
Potsdam-Berlin, Germany
We are excited to announce the IENE 2012 International Conference and practical field excursions on ecology and transportation. The conference is organised in cooperation between the Infra Eco Network Europe (IENE), the German Federal Government and the Swedish Transport Administration. The general theme of IENE 2012 is: “Safeguarding ecological functions across transport infrastructure” The conference shall:
Special topics that will be addressed at the conference are:
Fnd out more at the conference’s website Subscribe to the IENE conference news list to receive conference updates on technical and content-related issues. For further information contact: programme@iene-conferences.info
The Miistakis Institute of the Rockies at the University of Calgary is pleased to announce the launching of a new project entitled "Road Watch in the Crowsnest Pass". Road Watch in the Pass provides the community the opportunity to report sightings of wildlife crossing Highway 3. The goal of this project is to collect, analyze and communicate information highlighting crossing locations of wildlife along the highway based on local knowledge and observations.
Visit the Road Watch In The Pass website for more information and instructions on how to participate.
Moose Crash Victims Sue - CBC News - January 11, 2011
Moose antlers to secure local highway - News In English - January 13, 2011
Across the Great Divide - Globe and Mail - January 28, 2011
Salamander crossing to provide squish-free passage - CBC News - June 16, 2008
City leaders to hear moose plan - Peninsula Clarion - April 25, 2008
Motorists Contribute to Roadkill Survey - Idaho Mountain Express - March 12, 2008
Sheep Mortality High This Season - Invermere Valley Echo - March 10, 2008
Still room for deer and antelope to play? - MSNBC - March 4, 2008
When Grizzlies Ruin Eden, Moose Take to the Road - NY Times online - February 12, 2008
I-90 project prevents wildlife casualties - Bozeman Daily Chronicle - January 27, 2008
Preventing Moose Road Accidents: Collisions Between Moose and Vehicles Kill Animals and People - wildlifepreservationsuite101 - January 4, 2008
The 100-Mile-an-Hour Diet - The Tyee - December 25, 2007
As Cars Hit More Animals On Roads, Toll Rises - NY Times online - December 22, 2007
Lecture, Ticket or Toe Tag? - RCMP Gazette - Vol. 69, No. 3, 2007
New Deer Reflector Signs Arrive in Lakes District - Lake District News - November 28, 2007
Fatal Accidents Involving Deer Becoming More Common - ksl.com - November 26th, 2007
On the right track: Government, railways agreement should help preserve wildlife - The Jasper Booster online - November 21, 2007
Open space, not traffic, may be why small animals hesitate to cross roads - Thaindian News online - November 21st, 2007
Walk This Way: Increasingly popular animal crossings help prevent road kill - Plenty online magazine - November 20, 2007
Highway overpass OK'd for bighorns - Mohave Daily News Tri State online (AZ NE CA) - November 18, 2007
Safe Crossing: Armed with new research, traffic engineers are finding ways to stop highway carnage - High Country news online - November 12, 2007
System to warn of animals on Hwy. 160 - Durango Herald - November 8, 2007
830-Pound Bear Found Near Lincoln, Montana: Grizzly Killed by Pickup - New West, Missoula online - November 6, 2007
Struck deer smashes Forsyth school bus windshield, injures driver - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - October 19, 2007
Study Shows Moose Hit the Road to Evade Grizzlies - New West online - October 13, 2007
Collision course: Partnership looks for answers to wildlife-vehicle collisions - The Durango Telegraph - October 18, 2007
Underpasses Keep Wildlife on Track; UT Researchers help NC Mitigate Impact of Highway Expansion - knoxnews.com - October 11, 2007
Building bridges back to nature - Globe and Mail globeandmail.com - October 3, 2007
Avoid deer in the headlights: B.C. has launched a program to help reduce collisions with wildlife - RV West online - October 2007
Conflict Deadly For Bears - The Province - September 18, 2007
Highway Mortality: Making road systems more permeable for wildlife - Mule Deer Foundation magazine - Sept/Oct 2007
Summer Brings Moose to Roads - Bangor Daily News - July 2, 2007
Drivers Warned to Beware of Moose on Highways - CanadaEast online - July 2, 2007
Deadly Roadkill in Wyoming Kills 21 Pronghorn - NewWest Environment - February 18, 2007
Roadkill Cleanup is Costly - SouthBendTribune.com - December 11, 2006
Critter Crossings, Sensors Keep Wildlife , Motorists Apart - Better Roads Magazine - November 2006
Drivers test GPS to reduce car-wildlife collisions - The Globe and Mail - November 2, 2006
Why Elk Can Soon Cross the Road - abcnews - October 23, 2006
"Deer in the headlights" a Killer - CBC News - Oct. 17, 2006
Animals, cars a lethal mix - The Gazette (Montreal) Canada.com - July 24, 2006
Working to Prevent Wildlife Collisions - Opinion 250.com on line news - July 16, 2006
Utah roads making life wild for animals - desertnews.com - July 9, 2006
Bear Carnage Can Be Curbed - Calgary Herald - July 7, 2006
Yellowstone Griz Died From Collision, Not Drowning - newwest.net - July 6, 2006
Development puts animals in drivers' paths - Delawareonline.com - May 31, 2006
Biologists working to improve wildlife survival along Highway 95 - kxly.com Spokane - May 24, 2006
Driving For Wildlife - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks - February 3, 2006
Engineers studying how to reduce wildlife highway deaths in N. Idaho - Associated Press - January 30, 2006
A push for animal friendly roads - Christain Science Monitor - December 20 , 2005
Oh, deer, collisions with cars rise - Free Lance Star - November 30, 2005
Road planners aim to assist wildlife - Scripps Howard news service - November 29, 2005
Wildlife-vehicle collisions increase during mating season - Canadian Press - November 6, 2005
Worst 10 states for auto-deer collisions - CNN Money online magazine - November 4, 2005
Deer Could Pose Record Road Hazard - Washington Post - October 23, 2005
Project aims to prevent moose-car collisions - Anchorage Daily News - October 18, 2005
Critters Take to Crossings - Richmond Times-Dispatch - October 6, 2005
Grizzly Bear 66 and Cubs from Banff National Park Killed on Trans Canada Highway - September 6, 2005
Of Moose and Mud - Public Roads online magazine - Sept/Oct 2005
Animals and Motor Vehicles - The Globe and Mail - July 21, 2005
More Wildlife Getting Helped Across the Highway - MS NBC - July 7, 2005
Where the Wildlife Meet the Road - Public Roads online magazine - May/June 2005
UGA, Berry College scientists studying deer behavior, sensory perceptions for clues to reducing deer-vehicle collisions - UGA News Service (University of Georgia Office of Public Affairs) - April 26, 2005
Road kill: Cars and Animals Don't Mix - Canadian Driver Online Auto Magazine - April 7, 2005
Roadkill Increases as Spring Nears - Durango Herald - March 22, 2005
United States Roadkill Statistics - High Country News Magazine - Feb. 7, 2005
Yellowstone to Yukon Wildlife Corridor - New York Times - Dec. 2, 2004
Roadkill In Yellowstone National Park - Associated Press - Nov. 29, 2004
Fatal Crashes Caused By Deer at All Time High - Associated Press - Nov. 18, 2004
Critter Crashes: How to Avoid Deer and Other Animals on a Motorcycle - Motorcycle Cruiser Online Magazine - April 2004
November 30, 2010 - Watch Out For Moose In December!
December 10, 2007 - December is the Highest Risk Month for Moose Vehicle Collisions Near Burns Lake
December and January Highest Risk Months for Moose Vehicle Collisions Near Mackenzie
November 14, 2007 - November Highest Risk Month for Deer Collisions in Fort St. John
November Highest Risk Month for Deer Collisions in Dawson Creek
October 1, 2007 - Moose Vehicle Collisions Begin to Rise in October Near Prince George
January 18, 2007 - Drivers warned of high risk area for deer collisions west of Vanderhoof
October 31, 2006 - Research Aims to Document and Reduce Vehicle Collisions with Wildlife
July 12, 2006 - Funding from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation Supports Wildlife Collision Prevention Program
July 11, 2006 - British Columbia Conservation Foundation Launches New Look For Wildlife Program
May 18, 2006 - ICBC and partners work to prevent wildlife collisions
October 14, 2005 - New Billboard Near Radium Reminds Drivers to Watch for Wildlife
September 16, 2005 - $18,000 Donation Allows for Signage at Rest Stops in BC
March 18, 2005 - Wildlife-Vehicle Accident Prevention Program Welcomes Funding Contributions from the Government of British Columbia
December 7, 2004 - New Billboard Near Chase Reminds Drivers To Watch For Wildlife
November 1, 2004 - Billboard Campaign Reminds Drivers to Watch For Wildlife
May 5, 2004 - Aquila Donates $7500 to Wildlife-Vehicle Accident Prevention Program
September 25, 2003 - Dry Summer Means Increased Wildlife Movement This Fall; Motorists Reminded To Remain Alert
July 14, 2003 - Vehicles Can Stop Wildlife Dead In Their Tracks; But Wildlife Protection System Helps Motorists To Avoid Animals