More Tasmanian devils could be killed in the far North-West if further action isn't taken, says a Coastal council with plans to pour $10,000 into protecting the endangered species.
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It follows reports of more than 100 dead devils in the last 18 months found along a 20 kilometre stretch of road at Woolnorth.
There are estimated to be about 500 Tasmanian devils in the Woolnorth population, which represents one of the last bastions of health devils in the state.
The Circular Head Council will on Thursday consider a report into mitigating devil roadkill along Woolnorth Road, including four potential methods:
- Extended and install new sections of virtual fencing
- Signage
- Reducing the speed limit
- More frequent roadside slashing
The council has already installed 260 virtual fence beeper units along the road, funded by the Commonwealth, which boosted an existing virtual fence trial installed in 2018.
A Circular Head resident last year flagged she had counted more than 50 deaths along Woolnorth Road over six months, and it is understood that number had more than doubled by May this year.
Those reports and others similar triggered the formation of the Circular Head Roadkill Mitigation Working Group in 2021, including stakeholders representing dairy, windfarm, transport industry, the council, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, wildlife carers, Tasmania Police and Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management.
The group's most recent meeting was held on June 1, where a range of other mitigation options were discussed, including noisemakers on trucks, rumble strips and better speed limit enforcement.
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