A massive increase in roadkill this spring is littering South Australian highways, with one wildlife rescuer finding 13 wombats and 10 kangaroos dead on a single road in the Murraylands.
A Cambrai-based wildlife rescue expert described the influx of injured animals and deaths since the start of September as "phenomenal".
"Since the beginning of spring, we've noticed our numbers increase by five times the normal amount for this time of year," Sally Arnold, operations manager at Wildwood Park Sanctuary Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, said.
"That includes kangaroos, wallabies and wombats."
Drivers reported up to 16 wombats were killed on Tuesday evening on the road between Sedan and Swan Reach.
It prompted Ms Arnold to visit the site where she found 13 dead wombats, along with six western grey and four red kangaroos.
Signs of road trauma
Ms Arnold said the wombats all had spinal and head trauma, with at least one likely to have been crushed by a truck.
She said debris including plastic and orange glass from vehicles were near the dead animals, along with wheel marks and blood splatters from the middle of the road.
Two of the western grey kangaroos had deceased joeys in pouches.
She said spring was always a busy time for animals because they moved around "considerably" more than at other times of the year while "on the lookout for friends".
She told ABC Radio Adelaide that it rained on Tuesday night, meaning the likelihood of animals being near the road significantly increased.
"They come to the road to drink off the road and the puddles that are beside the road because, as you can imagine, out on the plains there aren't too many puddles.
"We haven't had that much rain out here, so when it rains, you will see there are far more road deaths."
Increased deaths across SA
Drivers have also reported increased roadkill on other SA routes, particularly on the road to Renmark in the Riverland, and even closer to Adelaide between McLaren Vale and Victor Harbor.
Kris Messenger, from Bugs and Slugs, sometimes collects invertebrates from dead animals on the side of the road and earlier this week made an impassioned plea for drivers to be more careful.
"That's too much wildlife. Please slow down.
"Please don't think that one sleepy lizard you've run over, or that one echidna, doesn't have an impact."
Don't swerve
RAA safety and infrastructure senior manager Charles Mountain earlier this year said the Stuart Highway, Princes Highway, Sturt Highway, Victor Harbor Road, South Eastern Freeway and Main South Road were common areas for motorists to have collisions with animals.
"While colliding with an animal is a regrettable and unnerving experience, we advise motorists not to brake heavily or swerve as this could result in a more serious crash," he said.
"Where possible, drivers should safely reduce their speed to avoid a collision with an animal, remain alert and remember that animals can be obscured by roadside vegetation.''
He also advised motorists where possible to avoid driving in rural areas at dusk and dawn when animals were more active.
The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) is responsible for the removal of deceased animals on the state government's managed road network, including pets, registered stock and wildlife.
"The department is not aware of an increase in the amount of roadkill along state government managed roads in recent months," a spokesperson said.
"The frequency of roadkill can vary based on location, time of the year, and seasonal factors."
She said every effort was made to remove deceased animals as quickly as possible, with crews "regularly inspecting roads" to remove any dead animals and ensure it is safe.
Animals marked with paint
Ms Arnold said wildlife rescue workers like herself often marked roadside animals with paint to indicate that it was indeed dead and not injured, and that its pouch had been checked for joeys if it was a female.
She said a driver this week had herself checked on a kangaroo that appeared to be dead, until it raised its head and looked at her.
The driver and her son collected the kangaroo, a western grey, and brought it into Ms Arnold's rescue centre.
"The poor soul had a broken foot, which we have fixed, and a head injury that is coming good, so it's a positive sign," Ms Arnold said.
"I usually tell people to cover them in a blanket and wrap them up like a pudding, or something similar to that.
"Because even though a kangaroo might have two broken legs, it can still scratch and bite and do a lot of damage, and it's the same with wombats.
"They're very bitey up one end."
The DIT spokesperson said road users could contact the Traffic Management Centre on 1800 018 313 to report any issues that required immediate attention.
