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For Immediate Release
Watch Out for Wildlife!
Defenders of Wildlife launches program to reduce wildlife mortality on U.S. roads
WASHINGTON - Football, colorful leaves, apple cider and - wildlife dead on the highways? This grim sight is as much a sign of autumn across parts of the United States as the more traditional annual milestones that we associate with the changing of the seasons. This fall, Defenders of Wildlife is launching a new initiative, Watch Out for Wildlife (WOW), in an effort to educate drivers across the nation on how to avoid dangerous, costly and heartbreaking collisions with wildlife and what to do if one occurs.
"Defenders of Wildlife is committed to reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and the impacts they have on people and animals," said Trish White, director of Defenders of Wildlife's Highways and Habitat campaign. "Watch Out for Wildlife is our first step in engaging drivers to make sure that they have all the information they need to avoid collisions."
Every year, an estimated 1.5 million animals are hit on U.S. roads and more than 200 people are killed in collisions with deer, elk and other wildlife. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, wildlife-vehicle collisions cause $1 billion in property damage each year.
"Many drivers have had the heart-wrenching and sometimes dangerous experience of hitting an animal. Watch out for Wildlife is designed for drivers who love animals and cringe at the sight of yet another road-killed deer, squirrel, turtle or bird," said White. "We want to help people who care about wildlife understand how roads can affect their favorite animals and how their actions can make a real difference to wildlife in their area."
A few tips on how to make the roads safer for drivers and wildlife from the WOW website are:
- Be particularly alert when driving in wildlife areas
- Think like an animal - be familiar with wildlife behavior
- Don’t litter, because animals may venture to the road more often to get at the roadside buffet
Drivers can log on to www.watchoutforwildlife.org where they can find more tips on how to avoid wildlife collisions and what to do if one does occurs; download a WOW glove-box card to keep crucial information in their car in case of wildlife collisions; and take a pledge to Watch Out for Wildlife and ask their friends and family to do the same. The first 1,000 visitors to take the pledge will be eligible to receive a WOW car kit, including a WOW window cling, in-car trash bag with wildlife-friendly tips and a glove-box card.
The WOW initiative is part of a broader effort by Defenders of Wildlife to make existing roads safer for wildlife and drivers and ensure that essential wildlife habitat is protected from new road construction.
"Each and every one of us who gets behind the wheel of a car can make a difference to curb this problem," said White. "If you watch out for wildlife when driving, you will help protect yourself, your family and your local wildlife."
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
