Safeguard area wildlife: ‘Wow’ pointers for the road

The word “wow” has taken on a new meaning for outdoors types and animal lovers who are sickened by the frequency that wildlife is hit and killed on roadways, from neighborhood streets to freeways.

“Wow” the acronym stands for Watch Out for Wildlife.

Not sure how they tally it, but staffers at Defenders of Wildlife report an estimated 1.5 million animals are hit on U.S. roads annually, causing $1 billion in property damage and killing 200 Americans.

It’s unclear if the organization thinks that tallying cost to people instead of just speaking on behalf of creatures will cause more compassion — and better driving — among humans, but the whole “wow” thing makes you pay more attention to the world around you here in Southwest Florida.

You don’t have to stray too far from Naples or Fort Myers to see wildlife crossing notification. A panther’s silhouette is obvious on many yellow signs on corridors east of Interstate 75, and violators of the posted slower, nighttime speed limits suffer large penalties when cops ticket them.

Even gopher tortoises have their own wildlife crossing signs in Southwest Florida. George Clayton of Oregon had never seen one before. BETSY CLAYTON / COURTESY PHOTO There are creative neighborhoods in Cape Coral with burrowing owl signs posted — maybe not your typical Department of Transportation variety but informative nonetheless, especially at dusk when the Coke can-sized birds dart low between yards.

Among my favorite Florida photos of my father, George, is one in which he’s leaning against a gopher tortoise crossing sign. Those slow-moving creatures (the tortoises, not men my dad’s age) need all the help they can get.

So Defenders of Wildlife has posted a Top 10 list for helping motorists prevent collisions with wildlife. Some of them are obvious, but on behalf of that flattened raccoon you saw on your morning commute today, we’ll go over them here.

1. Be particularly alert when driving in wildlife areas. Around these parts, that could be anywhere. Remember the photo of the FHP officer standing in the middle of U.S. 41 with cars backed up behind him and a bigger-than-a-man-sized gator lying on the pavement right on the yellow striped centerline? Defenders’ says you should read those yellow signs with the critter images on them, especially in wooded, wetland or agricultural areas and in particular where roads cross waterways, such as small rivers and streams that animals use as corridors. Scan the sides of roads; ask passengers to help.

2. Slow down and increase the following distance between you and other cars. Your insurance agent would tell you this makes sense all the time. You go fast and your ability to react and take evasive action is reduced. I thought of this the day I nearly creamed a protected indigo snake on Pine Island Road. So glad I wasn’t too close behind that car in front that swerved and missed so I could miss, too.

3. Limit driving in wildlife areas at night. This gets back to the panther zones I mentioned. But think about it: At dusk and dawn, a driver’s visibility is lowest and wildlife traffic is highest. Watch for animals’ reflective eyes, which often are visible from a distance. OK, maybe this doesn’t work as well in Maine or Idaho because the eyes of a moose don’t reflect light like a deer’s eyes. But you get the idea.

4. Be careful if you’re a motorcyclist. Statistics speak here: 2 percent of deercar collisions result in human fatalities; 85 percent of deer-motorcycle collisions end with people dying.

5. Keep up with regular auto maintenance. A clean windshield sure helps you see animals better. So do bright headlights.

6. Think like an animal and be familiar with wildlife behavior. Mating and hunting seasons are smart times to do this. Same with springtime when wildfires are around. Your car is not a natural predator and animals don’t know how to get out of the way. Even if an animal sees you, it may still jump in front of the car.

7. Don’t litter. Human food along the roadway causes a scent like a dinner bell. Why ask animals to come eat in jeopardy?

8. Don’t rely on gadgets. Outdoors people have read about “deer whistles” but their effectiveness still isn’t proven.

9. Get involved in local government. Zoning meetings and land-use planning get-togethers may cause your eyes to glaze over, but vocalizing concerns about loss of wildlife habitat to new road construction and urban sprawl can help later on.

10. Write to the Florida Department of Transportation and/or your elected state officials. Letters from “real people” — that’d be you, the reader — that effectively express concern about wildlife habitat loss or uncheck expansion can help. Encourage leaders to incorporate wildlife considerations into transportation planning.

This especially makes sense in Southwest Florida. Here we sit on a slender peninsula graced with an outdoors world that rivals Discovery Channel. Wow. 

— Betsy Clayton is a freelancer based on Pine Island and also is Lee County Parks & Recreation’s waterways coordinator. Contact her at boatingbybetsy@yahoo.com.