MOTORISTS have been urged to drive carefully after the number of disease-free Tasmanian devils killed on the roads has increased to 18.
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Two healthy devils were killed on the Forestier Peninsula in February, according to a Save the Tasmanian Devil program update.
A spokesman for the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment said the ‘‘roadkill of Tasmanian devils and wildlife in general remains an ongoing threat’’.
Twelve of the first 39 devils released at Bangor on the Forestier Peninsula in November have been confirmed as roadkill.
‘‘A release of 10 additional animals has occurred since the original release, and of those two have died from being hit by vehicles despite the additional measures put in place,’’ the spokesman said.
‘‘This highlights the ongoing threat that roadkill poses to all wildlife.’’
Virtual fencing – electronic alarms placed to scare wildlife away from oncoming traffic – was installed in January at a roadkill hotspot on the Arthur Highway in order to combat devil deaths caused by motorists.
‘‘While the introduction of additional measures, such as the virtual fences, may have assisted in this, road users remain the key to reducing the impact of all wildlife roadkill,’’ the spokesman said.
