*TRAVEL ADVISORY* Spring Means Increased Wildlife Activity
SW & S-CENTRAL COLORADO – Springtime in the Rockies means wildlife are on the move again: deer and elk are moving to their summer habitats, and that means they will be crossing highways and roadways. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reminds motorists that wildlife-vehicle collisions are high this time of year.
“Our maintenance personnel are being called upon more and more over the past couple of weeks to the sites of wildlife-vehicle collisions,” said Greg Stacy, CDOT maintenance superintendent. “Of course these crashes happen year-round, but we definitely see an increase in the fall and now, during the spring.”
CDOT biologist Mark Lawler added, “We need to understand that while roads have been built for our convenience, they are sometimes paved in the middle of animal movement corridors. As weather becomes milder the animals’ natural instinct sends them to desirable locations in search of food and water sources which means crossing our state’s roads and highways.”
Motorists should be aware that wildlife can cross roads without warning at most any time of day or night, but a majority of animal-vehicle collisions occur at dusk and dawn, when wildlife are more active and unfortunately more difficult to see.
INFORMATION: For more information about wildlife and our highways, visit CDOT’s wildlife webpage: www.codot.gov/programs/
