No, not THAT kind of wildlife; small, furry, native, unpredictable; THAT kind.
Now that it’s Spring, the beasties have come out of their Winter hidey-holes and are starting to be seen again. In the last couple of days I have seen 3 echidnas on the Pass and a blue-tongued lizard crossing the road near the Pie Shop.
As well a couple of dead foxes, but I guess they don’t count.
Now, of course, small and furry things can usually be avoided and don’t cause you too much grief as a motorcyclist, but larger furry things can be a real danger and there are some things that you need to look out for. Deer are in plague proportions in the Royal National Park, for example, and have been seen in suburbs as far south as where I live where one crossed the road in front of me in Spring time last year. Hitting one of them can be really dangerous as we have been reminded of recently.
Kangaroos and wallabies have notoriously bad road sense as well as very poor traction on bitumen should you surprise one of them in the middle of the road. In drought-declared areas like Canberra, for example, they are also in plague proportions and infest the suburbs looking for feed in peoples’ yards as feed in the farmers’ paddocks is depleted. Just a week or so ago a motorcyclist was killed in Canberra after hitting a kangaroo on the highway just near EPIC.
Wombats are known to be not only thick physically, but also mentally and hitting one of them is like hitting a house. Straying cattle on the road are a hazard, especially in dairy areas and you should always be doubly careful when there is likely to be stock about.
So, how do you avoid a sudden encounter with wildlife?
Mostly, don’t ride at night. Most Australian natives are nocturnal and feed especially near dusk and near dawn. Dangerous times to be on the road. In drought areas, be especially careful. Grass that grows on the side of the road is often the only greenery for miles so the beasties will travel huge distances to get to it.
I have extreme doubts about the effectiveness of devices like the Shu-Ru, for example, though I have seen bikes fitted with them and heard apochryphal stories that they work. I wouldn’t be trusting my life and my bike to one, that’s for sure.
Enjoy the party season as it approaches, but beware of the wildlife.
sanoptic says
Hi,
Have had a few close calls with kangaroos,on the climb up to Warragamba Dam from the Sydney end a kangaroo hit the rear end of my bike.Luckly the only damage was a broken rear indicator ,could have been much worse to the bike & me.
I’ve also had close call with dairy cows,the farmer decided to cross the herd near a sharp bend in the road.Only just managed to stop ,fresh cow sh*t is slippery..LOL
Its just not motorists we have to look out for .
cheers