Number of animals killed on Limerick's roads is revealed after question

AT LEAST 101 dead animals have been removed from Limerick’s roads in the last five years.

But the local authority has admitted the amount of animals killed on local roads “is probably higher”.

Now, a local councillor has called for an improvement in the data collection methods in order to prevent the loss of rare species.

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Cllr Shane Hickey-O’Mara, Social Democrats, asked a series of questions around roadkill at this month’s metropolitan district meeting.

Of the 101 reports of dead animals on local roads, 12 of these were identified as being dogs, eight of cats and one of a dead bird.

There were 28 reports of dead foxes and seven reports of other animals of unrecorded species, Liam Browne, a senior executive engineer at the council stated in a written answer.

It’s unclear what the remainder of the animals were.

And it was acknowledged this information is limited, because the council’s complaints system does not have an option to garner information on small dead creatures.

The figure of 101 is taken from a general search of the council’s complaints system, and, Mr Browne wrote: “The actual amount of roadkill is probably higher”.

Cllr Hickey-O’Mara said he is disappointed with the only small amount of data.

“We know one of the major threats to our native wildlife is road traffic, with several species commonly seen dead on our roads - such as the badger and brown hare - being classified as ‘protected’,” he said.

He pointed out hedgehogs are now listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as near threatened.

“Any further decline in numbers could see them at risk of extinction in Ireland,” the northside councillor added.

“We need to be doing everything we can to combat biodiversity loss and the collection of roadkill data would help to identify what species are being killed on our roads and where,” Cllr Hickey-O’Mara said.

Council official Mr Browne added no particular blackspots for roadkill have been identified.

The Social Democrats councillor said identifying blackspots could help reduce the loss of species, through the introduction of traffic calming measures, road signs, and efforts to re-route wildlife in other directions.