Roadkill Literally ‘Drives’ Some Species to Extinction

On May 8, 2021, at the crack of dawn, mist crept from the fields onto the country road. The rush hour traffic caused by commuters using the road to avoid jams on the highway had not yet picked up. There was another activity going on. Small groups of people were carrying bundles of white crosses along the four kilometer long road. When the sun came up, the first motorists were greeted by an eerie sight: 642 crosses marked the precise spots where dozens of animals had been killed by vehicles over the past few years. The common name of each animal, a drawing of the animal, and a code that linked to the roadkill incident were displayed on each cross.

The guerilla campaign was started by a Biologist who was frustrated by the large number of otter and waterfowl deaths from speeding traffic and the lack of response from local authorities. Koese decided to take matters into his own hands, and his parade of crosses was featured on local and national news.