DWR warns motorists to 'please watch out for feathered wildlife'
(KUTV) — The roads can be hazardous because of distracted and impaired driving, black ice, debris and also wildlife.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources stated in an Instagram post that winter can be a hazardous season of travel for both motorists and wildlife.
In the post, two DWR officers are holding the wings of a dead bald eagle that had been hit on one of Utah's roads. The caption reads in part:
Eagles sometimes feed on deer carcasses near highways, bringing them close to moving vehicles. The birds don't always fly away as you'd expect-- they often can't fly until they digest their recently eaten food. When you're out on the road, please watch out for feathered wildlife, too.
About 20% of motor vehicle crash deaths result from a vehicle leaving the roadway and hitting a fixed object alongside the road. Trees, utility poles, and traffic barriers are the most common objects struck.
Furthermore, a report by the Highway Loss Data Institute shows that more than 200 people nationwide died in animal-vehicle crashes last year.
