SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) is appalled at the frequent occurrences of roadkill affecting our endangered species.
It has been reported that since 2011, wild animals, such as civets, wild boars, marbled cats and tapirs, have been killed in road accidents.
Among wildlife, mammals make up the highest number of animals killed in these accidents, accounting for 1,110 deaths.
According to the natural resources and environment minister on July 14 last year, these protected species were killed on federal, state and municipal roads, involving 61 roads and highway networks in the country.
Not surprisingly, most accidents have taken place in or near forested areas where wild animals tried to cross a road to get from one forest to another.
Despite SAM and other non-governmental organisations highlighting the harmful effects of roads to wildlife, road density continues to increase with roads criss-crossing the country.
Federal and state governments, and local transportation departments devote huge budgets to the construction and upgrading of roads.
Multinational lending institutions finance roads that dissect rainforests and usher in a flood of settlers who destroy them and indigenous cultures.
Public land-managing agencies build thousands of miles of roads each year to support their resource extraction activities.
Most public agencies disregard the ecological impact of roads, and attempt to justify logging roads as benefiting the public and wildlife management.
Although the effects of different types of roads vary, virtually all are bad and the net effect is catastrophic.
Roadkill does have a significant impact on wildlife population.
The greatest threat posed to wildlife are speeding vehicles on highways. Unimproved, unpaved roads are less dangerous.
Increase in traffic volume results in more collisions on any given road, and in our profligate society, more people means more cars on every road.
While roadkill statistics take into account the number of animals killed, do they account for animals that crawl off the road to die after being hit?
What about the number of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and birds? Snakes are particularly vulnerable as the warm asphalt attracts them. What about the thousands of insects smashed on windshields?
Despite signboards on animal crossings, transverse bars, solar amber lights, animal viaducts, tunnels and pathways at locations with the highest number of roadkill, wildlife continues to perish.
The questions are: How effective are the animal crossings in reducing roadkill; and have any studies been conducted to find the percentage of wildlife that uses the constructed animal crossings?
Roadkill should not occur as long as there is proper planning among agencies before construction of roads and highways through wildlife habitats.
Roads are threats to the survival of wildlife.
They act as a displacement factor that affects animal distribution and movement patterns.
Animal population fragmenting occurs when access corridors that encourage development and logging, traverse through the national forests.
Poaching of rare plants and animals occurs, threatening the existence of the forests’ rare flora and fauna.
Humans demand new roads for connectivity, forcing wild animals closer to roads and human settlements, so that even new wildlife crossings can do little to save animal lives.
The Works Ministry and the Malaysian Highway Authorities must not turn a blind eye to the negative impact of new roads and highways to the environment.
Reckless planning and construction of new roads could have a huge impact on the surrounding environment and the ecosystem.
Roadkill can be avoided if these bodies show a high level of concern about the importance of wildlife and their conservation.
When potential risks to the environment are identified and assessed, and management options thoroughly considered, road managers, planners and scientists can work together to determine where it is best to site new roads and minimise any ecological damage.
S.M. MOHD IDRIS
President, Sahabat Alam Malaysia Penang