Warrandyte South motorists hit deer as Wildlife Australia says collisions with wildlife on the rise

MOTORISTS on Melbourne’s eastern fringe are being warned to watch out after one car was damaged and another written off in collisions with deer.

Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) buck in velvet, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada,

A MOTORIST is urging drivers to be vigilant after colliding with a deer in Warrandyte South.

Glenn Copeland was driving at the speed limit on Warrandyte-Ringwood Rd, just near the Strawberry Farm, on September 22 at about 9pm when the deer walked out on to the road.

“It came out of nowhere, it walked out on to the road and I swerved to avoid it,” Mr Copeland said.

“It must have got a fright, its antlers came back at the car and dented it.”

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Mr Copeland and a friend looked for the deer after the accident but could not find it. The collision caused more than $3000 damage to the large dual cab vehicle but Mr Copeland said it could have easily been more serious for a smaller car.

Mr Copeland said about two weeks ago a motorist driving a Mitsubishi Lancer had their car written off on Beauty Gully Rd after hitting a deer.

“The car looked like an ­elephant sat on it,” he said.

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Doncaster police acting Senior Sergeant Alasdair Farrell said deer were a safety problem, but that collisions with kangaroos were more common.

“We’re warning motorists to be extra vigilant on the road, especially around dusk and dawn as roos and deer will be on the move looking for food and water,” he said.

Wildlife Victoria spokeswoman Amy Amato said ­collisions with wildlife were on the rise, particularly on the urban fringe.

“We see an increase of all wildlife reports in general during spring, including car accidents,” she said.

Ms Amato said winter was also a peak time of the year for wildlife/vehicle collisions because of shorter daylight hours.

Ms Amato said 6181 native animals have been reported to Wildlife Victoria’s Emergency Response Service in the past 12 months as a result of being hit by a vehicle, including 3608 kangaroos and wallabies.

Phone Wildlife Victoria on 1300 094 535 if an animal is hit.