News > State

State  

Drought lures animals onto highways

WILDLIFE LOOKING FOR WATER TEND TO VENTURE ONTO ROADS

By Roger Alford

ASSOCIATED PRESS

FRANKFORT --

Dusty stream beds, parched by a lingering drought in the South, are forcing thirsty deer, bears and even alligators to travel in search of water, creating traffic hazards for motorists.

"When water supplies begin to dry up and animals have to search for water, the chances of them crossing our highways go up significantly," said Doug Hogan, spokesman for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. "It's a highway safety issue."

That's especially true with large animals such as elk, deer and black bear in the rugged Appalachian region where small mountain streams were among the first to dry up and force animals to travel to larger creeks and rivers.

Hogan said motorists might face the greatest danger in Eastern Kentucky, where roads typically meander alongside streams in the steep, V-shaped valleys.

"If the drought continues, this will bring even more wildlife to the streams near our highways," said Keith Hill, a highway worker in Johnson County where roads have been littered with deer carcasses in the past week. "We want to caution people so that they can avoid accidents. ... A full-grown doe can total a car."

Mark Marraccini, spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, said the number of black bear sightings has been higher in recent weeks, though none have been reported killed on highways.

Eastern Kentucky is in an extreme drought. The entire Southeast is in at least a moderate drought, except for the southern tips of Florida and Louisiana, the northern reaches of North Carolina and Virginia and parts of Arkansas and West Virginia, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Many parts of the South have rainfall deficits in double digits for the year, and areas with the most extreme conditions are 20 inches or more below normal, putting crops and livestock in jeopardy.

Dozens of water districts are urging voluntary conservation, and some have imposed bans on watering lawns and car washing.