Wildlife species prone to road kill: case in Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Wild animals sometimes accidentally got killed when they try to cross the road in their habitat. However, data and information on the road kill/mortality of wild animals in Indonesia was still lacking. The objective of this study was to record and analyze the road kill (e.g.e species and number) along the 22,4 km highway in Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park, Southeast Sulawesi. Road kills were observed during February-March 2020 through series of driving along the highway by motorcycle. Data collected were species and number of road kill, as well as number of vehicles passing by. A total of 529 individuals from 37 species were found accidentally killed of which about half (49,3%) happened along the beginning of the highway (km 0-10). Species prone to road kill were identifed, naley 19 species of bird (mostly Tricoloured Munia, Lesser Coucal, Zitting Cisticola), 3 species of small mammals (mostly Ricefield Rat), 10 species of reptileses species (mostly Water Monitor and Matana Mud Snake), and 5 species of amphibians species (mostly Crested Toad). Big mammals (Booted Macaque, Wild Boar) were not prone to road kill. There was a positive correlation (r=0,721) between the number of vehicle and the number of road kill.