Why Wildlife Is So Vulnerable on Tasmania’s Roads

Tasmania’s roads pass through forests, farmland, coastal areas and other habitats used by native wildlife. For many animals, a road is not a boundary. It is simply another part of the landscape they must cross while feeding, dispersing, finding mates or moving between areas of habitat.

The risk is particularly high between dusk and dawn, when many Tasmanian mammals are most active and animals can be difficult for drivers to see. Roadsides can also attract wildlife with grass and other vegetation, while steep banks, drains and cuttings may leave animals with few places to escape when a vehicle approaches. These risks are not spread evenly across the road network, with some stretches of road becoming recurring hotspots for wildlife deaths.

The scale of the problem has been documented in Tasmania for decades. A major study published in 2008 surveyed more than 15,000 kilometres of road and recorded 5,691 dead animals, an average of 0.372 animals per kilometre surveyed. Common brushtail possums and Tasmanian pademelons were among the animals most frequently recorded, while the concentration of deaths in particular locations highlighted the potential for targeted measures at known roadkill hotspots.

Some Species Face Greater Risks

Roads do not affect every species in the same way. Tasmanian devils are particularly vulnerable because they can travel considerable distances and may be attracted to roads to scavenge animals that have already been killed. Young devils can face additional risk when they disperse through unfamiliar landscapes, particularly during late spring and summer. This means a single animal killed on a road can sometimes create another hazard by attracting scavengers into the path of traffic.

The consequences can extend beyond individual animals. At Cradle Mountain, researchers documented a dramatic change after an access road was widened and sealed in 1991. Over the following 17 months, a monitored population of 19 eastern quolls disappeared and a monitored population of 39 Tasmanian devils was halved as road deaths increased sharply. Researchers identified higher vehicle speeds following the road upgrade as the probable main cause, and the eastern quoll population began to re-establish after traffic calming and other measures were introduced.

For marsupials, an animal lying dead beside the road may not be the only life at risk. A female wallaby, pademelon, possum, wombat or other marsupial may still have a living joey in her pouch, while older dependent young can remain nearby after their mother has been killed. Where it can be done safely, checking dead marsupials for pouch young and moving carcasses away from the roadway can also help prevent further deaths by reducing the attraction for scavengers such as Tasmanian devils and wedge-tailed eagles.

If You Find Injured Wildlife

Your own safety comes first. Do not stop somewhere that places you, other road users or the animal in further danger. If you can pull over safely, move completely off the road and assess the situation from a safe location before approaching the animal.

Wildlife that has been injured on a road may require specialised handling and veterinary treatment, and frightened or injured animals can behave unpredictably. Tasmanian devils should not be handled by members of the public. If an animal is dead and it is safe to check, remember that female marsupials may still have a living joey in their pouch or dependent young nearby.

For wildlife rescue assistance anywhere in Tasmania, contact Bonorong Wildlife Rescue on 0447 264 625. The rescue service operates 24 hours a day and can provide advice based on the species, its condition and your location.

For more detailed guidance on safely responding to wildlife in distress, see our What to Do If You Find Injured or Orphaned Wildlife guide.

Slowing Down Can Save Wildlife

One of the simplest things drivers can do to reduce the risk to wildlife is slow down, particularly between dusk and dawn. Lower speeds give drivers more time to see an animal and react, while also giving wildlife more opportunity to move away from an approaching vehicle.

Watch the road ahead as well as the verges, take wildlife warning signs seriously and be prepared for animals to behave unpredictably when caught in headlights. If an animal is on the road, slow down and give it time to move away rather than trying to predict which direction it will take. Food and food scraps should never be thrown from vehicles, as they can attract wildlife and scavengers towards roadsides and increase the risk of another animal being killed.

Extra care is also important at times of the year when wildlife is moving more frequently. Young animals dispersing into new areas can encounter roads as they move through unfamiliar landscapes, while seasonal changes in feeding, breeding and movement can increase activity near roads. For Tasmanian devils, late spring and summer are particularly important periods as young devils disperse, coinciding with increased traffic on many Tasmanian roads.

Reporting Roadkill Helps Identify Hotspots

Even when an animal cannot be saved, reporting where roadkill occurs can provide valuable information. Tasmania’s Roadkill Reporter allows members of the public to record animals found dead on roads, helping build a clearer picture of where wildlife deaths are occurring. These observations can help identify roadkill hotspots and places where measures to reduce wildlife deaths may be most useful.

This information matters because roadkill is not distributed evenly across the landscape. Some stretches of road present a much greater risk because of surrounding habitat, wildlife movement, roadside vegetation, road design and traffic conditions. Reports submitted through the Roadkill Reporter contribute to Tasmania’s broader wildlife records through the Natural Values Atlas and LIST databases.

In April 2026, NRE Tasmania reported that almost 2,000 animals had been recorded through the Roadkill Reporter over the previous year. More than half were pademelons and Bennett’s wallabies, while brushtail possums, Tasmanian devils and common wombats were also among the most frequently reported species.

Roadkill should only be reported when it is safe to do so. There is no need to stop on a dangerous stretch of road simply to record an animal, as its location can be submitted later once you have reached a safe place.

Sharing Tasmania’s Roads With Wildlife

Roads are an unavoidable part of the modern landscape, but the risks they create for wildlife are not the same everywhere. Research in Tasmania has identified roadkill hotspots and shown how factors such as vehicle speed, road design and surrounding habitat can influence where animals are most at risk. Understanding those patterns also gives us opportunities to reduce wildlife deaths in the places where they occur most often.

For drivers, some of the most effective actions are also the simplest. Slow down when wildlife is most active, watch the road and its edges, take wildlife warning signs seriously and give animals time to move away. If you find an injured animal, seek wildlife rescue assistance and avoid putting yourself, other road users or the animal in further danger.

Tasmania’s wildlife has been crossing these landscapes far longer than our roads have been running through them. Sharing those roads means recognising that, particularly between dusk and dawn, we are travelling through their habitat too.

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Cover Image by Stephen Edmonds / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.