Temporal patterns of ungulate-vehicle collisions in a subalpine Italian region

Abstract

Over the last few decades, in Italy as in the rest of EU, both the number of wild ungulates and the volume of traffic have increased significantly. Consequently, ungulate-vehicle collisions have increased with significant costs in human death and injury, animal welfare and material damage. In this study we provide information about temporal patterns of collisions in a subalpine Italian region. We analyzed 1110 reports of accidents that occurred in Cuneo district from January 2008 to December 2011. Most of them were caused by roe deer and wild boar, while red deer, fallow deer and chamois were occasionally involved. Monthly distribution of accidents showed two peaks, with a higher risk of collision during spring mainly related to roe deer and a secondary peak in autumn caused by wild boar. No evident daily variations were noticed. In the case of roe deer, we reported the existence of a primary hourly peak at dusk and another secondary peak at dawn. Wild boar were most frequently involved in collisions during dusk and night. We hypothesized that these temporal distributions are the result of a complex interaction of phenological, behavioral and human-related reasons. Information provided in this study allows us to better understand the dynamics and patterns of wildlife-car collisions and represents an indispensable element for the implementation of any mitigation strategy.