Group hopes prairie drivers use app aimed at keeping wildlife safe
By Tim Kalinowski on November 28, 2017.
tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal Wildlife-related vehicle collisions account for more than 54 per cent of rural accidents. The odds are if you live in a rural area in Alberta or Saskatchewan, you know someone who has been killed or badly injured as a result of a vehicle collision with wildlife. Pronghorn Xing (Crossing) is seeking to better the odds for both animals and human drivers alike. “Pronghorns and other wildlife are being hit when crossing the highway,” says Megan Jensen, Medicine Hat co-ordinator for Pronghorn Xing. “We are trying to figure out where the major seasonal pinch points are. This is where you have most of your road kills. “We did connectivity modelling to try to find out where these areas were with a mapping system, and now were are trying to ground truth that. We are encouraging everyone to use our app. when they are coming into to town, or use our online mapping system, so they can help us figure out where these pinch points are.” By creating this citizen science project, Pronghorn Xing is hoping to foster awareness and collect good data to be presented to the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan, so those bodies can take action to bring in different mitigation techniques. Some techniques may include enhanced use of signage or the creation of animal bypass routes to help wildlife cross roadways more safely, says Jensen. “We want to try to reduce wildlife/vehicle collisions, and create safe passageways across the highways,” Jensen states. “We have an online mapping system. If you see dead animals on the road, or animals running adjacent to the road just note their location and report in when safe to do so. “If you are the passenger in a vehicle, you can start our Pronghorn Xing app, which can be downloaded through iTunes or Google Play. It’s really simple.” For more information on the Pronghorn Xing project visit their website at http://www.pronghornxing.org. 10
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