ROADKILL OBSERVATION NETWORK HOPES TO OFFER INSIGHT FOR ROAD PLANNING|研究野生動物路死原因 "路殺網"整合資源

Data on where and when animals are killed by traffic can be valuable for experts to develop measures to improve the environment for wildlife. Assistant Researcher Lin Teh-en of the Endemic Species Research Institute in Nantou runs the Taiwan Roadkill Observation Network website, which reports and assists with the cleanup of animals killed on the road. The website has also helped identify the spread of diseases in wildlife. In the future, Lin hopes that the site can become part of a larger reporting network that could offer insight to road planners, as well as form the basis of a disease reporting system. Leopard cats are often seen on monitoring footage near highways, and many of them are killed in automobile collisions. These roadkill incidents are particularly common in the mountains of Miaoli. Experts say that this is the result of road planning that conflicts with animal habitats. ==LIN CHIN-KUN Chair, Miaoli Natural Ecosystem Association== We might need to explore whether Miaoli's development is correlated with the (number of roadkill incidents)--that is, whether places with less development have fewer animals being killed. Experts say that roads were planned with only human needs in mind, without considering animal behavior. Many animals were displaced or had their habitats fragmented by road projects, leading to roadkill incidents. In the Endemic Species Research Center in Nantou, researchers take out bags and bags of animal carcasses, all from animals killed on the road. A researcher established the Taiwan Roadkill Observation Network website to collect data on roadkill incidents. ==LIN TEH-EN Assistant Researcher, Endemic Species Research Center== Wild animals die for all sorts of reasons, but many of them are related to humans, including pesticide poisoning and diseases. These records and sample-taking, as well as testing of the samples, are an important way to monitor diseases. Lin's website has recorded 43,840 data points on roadkill incidents over the past 5 years. Over 4,000 involve mammals, including 13 protected species. Animals with intact carcasses are also tested for diseases in order to track and stop the spread of epidemics. Lin said that this kind of social network reporting can form the basis of a large-scale database that can help road planning and epidemic prevention authorities conduct better planning. Translated by JOHN CHEN 「路殺」指的是馬路上被撞死的小動物，但匯整數字後，也能提供專家作為改善環境的依據。南投特生中心的助理研究員林德恩，就成立了蒐集動物路死資料的＂路殺網＂，不僅通報及協助處理路死動物，也發現疾病的相關分佈和走向，未來希望整合為大型通報網，提供道路單位未來的規劃方向，也可以建立起疾病相關通報體系。 監視器畫面拍下石虎的身影，地點出現在高速公路邊，最後還是難逃被車輛撞上送命，像是這樣的路殺事件，在各地經常發生，尤其苗栗山區經常有石虎遭到路殺的情況，專家表示，這是道路規劃和動物的棲地有了衝突。 ==苗栗自然生態學會理事長 林錦坤== 可能要去探究說 到底苗栗目前被開發的部分 這部分是不是有相對比例在成長 就是說 我如果這部分比較少 發生路殺的案例 就相對比較少 專家表示，當初道路設計的規劃，都是以人的需求為出發點，但往往忽略動物的習性，棲地被切割，或是非自主性的遷移，導致路殺事件一再發生。來到南投特生中心，研究員拿出的一袋一袋的檢體，有完整的鼬獾，也有小動物殘缺的軀體，這全都是從各地收集來的，馬路上遭到路殺的小動物，為了分析路殺原因，成立了蒐集路死動物資料社團「路殺社」。 ==農委會特生中心助理研究員 林德恩== 野生動物常常會因為 各式各樣的原因而死亡 而且這些原因 幾乎都是我們人類造成的 當然有很多 包含農藥中毒 還有各式各樣疾病 透過這樣的記錄跟採集 還有標本檢驗方式 就是監控這疫情很重要的方式 路殺社成立以5年多以來，記錄各類動物路死資料共4萬3840筆，其中野生哺乳動物4084筆，涵蓋65個物種，其中13種屬保育類。除不僅通報及協助處理路死動物，如果罹病死亡，屍體具有完整性的動物，也將會透過相關的檢驗程序，分析疾病的分佈，防杜疫情擴散。研究員分析，透過社群網路通報體系，建立起大型資料庫，可以提供給公路及動防單位規劃執行時的參考資料。 林健生 賴世杰 南投報導