Animals Pt1

There comes a time in every rider’s life when he/she will encounter animals whilst riding. Not the two-legged variety who can be seen emerging uncertainly from licensed premises very late at night but the non-sentient type. And there are some things about these creatures that every motorcyclist should know. So, let’s look at your furry, scaly and feathered friends. Today we’ll just confine ourselves to the furry ones.

Kangaroos. Of all of Australia’s wildlife, the kangaroo is the most dangerous for motorcyclists. They are usually large, they are extremely agile, fast moving and totally unpredictable (actually describes some motorcyclists I know as well). Fortunately, there are some precautions that you can take to avoid being a casualty of one. Firstly, roos usually are a hazard on the road when there is a drought (though not exclusively – remember, I told you they are unpredictable). When the paddocks are bare of feed, the kangaroos (and wallabies who share pretty much the same characteristics) will hop the fence and come out to the edge of the road to eat the grass that grows in the bitumen there. Since no stock from the paddocks can get there, it’s open slather for the creatures to whom fences are not an obstacle. In times of plenty when there is plenty of feed in the paddocks, the risk from kangaroos is less but you are still not totally safe.

Secondly there are times when kangaroo risk is highest. These are the hours around dawn and dusk, their prime feeding times. Kangaroos ARE nocturnal but these two times seem to be when they are most active.

Since roos and wallabies can move so quickly, even if you have seen one (or more) beside the road, there is no guarantee that you are safe. Always look well ahead of where you are riding (which is good rule of riding ANYWAY) and be aware of objects that move. Chances are the object will prove to be a creature, usually a roo. Slow down and be prepared to stop. Don’t assume that, even though you are right beside the animal, he will continue to hop parallel to your direction of travel. He/she will just as likely prop, cut right and jump out straight in front of you or, in the worst case, into you. It is obvious that, even if you are hit a glancing blow, there is the potential for you to crash. If there is the room, steer as far away from him while watching carefully what he does. Even if you have to go over onto the other side of the road, do so if it is safe to and stay out there till you are safely past.

Kangaroos and wallabies are social creatures so the chances are that, if you see one, there will be more close by. Eyes out on stalks and ride warily until no more are visible. Like policemen, the rule that the one that gets you is the one that you don’t see, also applies to roos and wallabies. The worst place to encounter a roo is in a situation where he has no easy means of escape so be especially careful in those areas. Not that long ago I met up with one while crossing a narrow bridge. That got my heart rate going, I can tell you.

Can you protect yourself from roos? In my opinion, no. Devices like the Shoo-Roo that is supposed to repel roos by emitting a high-pitched sound that hurts their ears are of extremely doubtful value and the fact that users have never hit a kangaroo is probably more due to statistical good luck than any performance of the device.

So, the rule is, mind the time, be extremely careful if you are riding during those hours and be prepared.

Koalas are Australia’s native bear (though, strictly, they are not a bear at all.) Shy and cautious, you are much less likely to encounter one on the road than a kangaroo, for example. However, when koalas move from place to place, they do so by coming down out of the trees and walking along the ground. Clever scientists, like those form the CSIRO, have identified many places in Australia where koalas are more likely to cross roads and local authorities have erected signs in these areas to warn motorists that they could encounter one. Koalas are very slow-moving and they have great difficulty walking on roads since their paws are equipped for climbing rather than walking on slippery surfaces, so, if you see one crossing the road, stop and wait till it has completed its journey. They are an endangered specie (unlike the kangaroo that exists in plague proportions over most of the states) so preserving them is vital. In some places along the highways (the Pacific North of Buladelah is one that springs to mind) the authorities have installed fences that the koalas cannot climb to stop them crossing the road on ground level and have also installed bridges made of netting that the koalas can use to cross above the traffic in safety. How successful this strategy has been is not known, but it is nice to see somebody being proactive and protecting our cuddly little friends.

Wombats are not, in spite of what you may think, bats used for playing wom. They are a large, terrestrial marsupial who lives in burrows that they dig under the ground. Wombats share many of the dining habits of their distant cousins, the kangaroos and wallabies. Most frequently seen at night rather than in the day time, they are slow-moving, cumbersome and heavy and hitting one of them is like running into a brick wall with all the shock and awe that such an exercise will bring. Like the koala, the wombat has the distinct advantage that they don’t change direction very easily and also that they tend to be pretty narrow-focussed, determined to get from one side of the road to the other by the shortest means possible. Encountering one on a bridge or when the animal has no easy way of avoiding you usually leads to confusion and unpredictable behaviour (the wombat gets a bit rattled, too). As with the others, keep your eyes out on stalks if you are riding at night and be ready to stop, as the animal will not stop for you. In fact, as I will note in my conclusion, unless you have a really good reason for being out on the road at night, it is best to avoid the hours of darkness for your own, and the animals’ safety.

Wabbits. Thanks to the above CSIRO and their wonderful Calesi virus, the likelihood of encountering a wabbit on the highway is vastly less than what it used to be. Fleet of foot and very maneuverable, if you see one at all, it will usually be after you would have had the chance to do anything about it anyway.  “That was the wabbit.” will be about as much as it will register.

Foxes. Foxes are the curse of the farmer and another introduced animal that has gone feral much to everyone’s disgust. Nocturnal in nature, they are often seen on the highway. But, due to his extremely furtive and secretive nature, the fox will have heard you coming and be scuttling away well before you get there. They are fairly highly represented in the road kill statistics, but they usually fall foul of trucks and cars rather than bikes.

Deer. The likelihood of encountering deer on the road is rising all of the time due to the explosion of their population in the bushland surrounding the main cities. I have seen two of them crossing the road not far from my house and I am living in the suburbs so they are definitely there. Again, rather than doing something pro-active and attempting to eradicate them, the authorities seem content with just erecting signs warning motorists that they could be there.  Deer are in plague proportions in the Royal National Park south of Sydney, for example. A fellow motorcyclist friend of mine who drives trains on the south coast line tells me that the rail corridor through the RNP is littered with the dead bodies of deer who have been killed by trains. Deer are incredibly shy and incredibly fast, a deadly combination. Their hooves are not designed to provide grip on bitumen and, should you encounter one on the highway, their attempts at escape can be comical but also can be deadly in the worst of circumstance. Mostly nocturnal they are getting more and more bold as they spread further afield in search of feed. Beware, hitting one can be very messy.

Cows, sheep and other livestock. As well as the danger from wild animals, domestic stock can also be a problem. Usually they will be under the supervision of a farmer, but, sometimes, stock escapes and the consequences of hitting a cow at speed doesn’t even bear thinking about. Unlike wild and feral creatures, it is a little easier for you to know where stock is likely to be found so, slow down and creep till you are past.

Horses. The same applies, though it is more common these days to encounter horses being ridden on the side of the road in the city than it is in the country (some stockmen still prefer to use them when moving stock from one place to another, though). I believe it is still the case where our road laws insist that a horse and rider has right of way over a car, so be very careful.

Dogs and cats. Thanks to a much more enlightened attitude these days it is much less likely that you will encounter these domestic creatures on the highway. There are groups of feral dogs and cats further out in the country however, and, it goes without saying that you need to be far more wary of them in country towns and around properties where controls on animals roaming loose is not as strict. A farmer just near Wangaratta was one dog less many years ago due to that lack of control and me passing by at the same time.

In summary: Ride at the appropriate times to avoid the known activity times of these animals. If you must ride when they are active or known to be in high proportion, ride carefully. Be constantly scanning the road up ahead and the verges on either side of the road as well. Watch for disturbances, a cloud of dust or something moving when there is no other sign of other activity. ALWAYS HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN! Know where you are going to go and what you are going to do if suddenly confronted. And, lastly, ride at such a speed so that, if you do encounter wildlife, you have a chance to put your escape plan into effect.