Filed under: Etc., Safety
If you hit an animal with your car, do you stop and take a picture of your
victory against nature kill? Did you know that someone out there is snapping pics of the deceased critters? His name is Ron Ringen and his friends refer to him as Dr. Roadkill.
According to
The New York Times, Ringen is not a
"unique" artist trying to turn a profit but rather a retired veterinarian helping wildlife researchers. His goal is to log enough data (animal type, location, etc.) to better understand the impact of roadways on the surrounding animal populations. This information will go a long way in
developing new methods of preventing or reducing animal/car interactions.
Ringen has found and photographed over 1,400 animals, and after he gets his shot, he then records the location in a GPS device. The animals he has found have ranged in size from tiny sparrows to a 1,500 pound black bull.
Mr, Ringen is not the only one scouring the blacktop for roadkill. There are volunteers across the state assisting in the capture of information.
WildlifeCrossing.net has nearly 300 registered users and they have information on nearly 7,000 dead animals. The California program is doing well and it has recently added a second state, Maine, to their website.
If you have some spare time, a camera and a GPS device you can help track the pattern of roadkill incidents. Safer roads equal a better driving experience, and that's something we can all get behind.
[Source:
The New York Times]
Meet California's Dr. Roadkill originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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16-09-2010, 03:40 PM
