engleski

Measures for prevention brown bear vehicle collisions on rijeka- zagreb motorway in Croatia as a part of the EU project LIFE DINALP bear

Mitigation measures for reducing traffic caused bear mortality on roads, highways and railways are important from two aspects: decreasing bear mortality and also risk to drivers and passengers, respectively. Each year on the Rupa-Rijeka-Zagreb motorway in Croatia (A7, A6) that extends over a length of 187 km around fifty accidents involving animal species with more or less severe consequences were recorded, including an average of three bear-vehicle collisions per year before the LIFE DINALP BEAR project started. Variety of measures are continuously undertaken to reduce these risks to the lowest possible level and also to preserve the natural habitat and its continuity that is interrupted by motorway corridors. Within the LIFE DINALP BEAR project we installed 60 km of electric fence both-sides along 30 km of motorway in addition to the existing wire mesh fence. To facilitate the animals that anyhow enter the motorway route we installed 10 big and 20 small one–way exit doors that may be opened only from the motorway side, as well as 6 jump out ramps. The highway intervention team in case of appearance of a brown bear on a highway was established as well. To decrease attractiveness of bears and other animals to enter the motorway route we installed 25 ”bear proof” garbage bins on the pull out stops along the road. The effect of the applied mitigation measures is continually monitored and analysed. The initial results indicate that the stated goal of 50% reduction of accidents is more than achieved since not a one bear is killed in traffic accident since the beginning of the project.

Ursus arctos, Croatia, motorway, traffic

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