A water deer fawn receives treatment after being hit by a car in February. Courtesy of Gyeonggi Province

By Lee Yeon-woo

More than 40,000 wild animals were killed on Korea's roads during the past three years, according to the National Institute of Ecology.

Song Eui-geun, a researcher at the National Institute of Ecology, disclosed in a recently released paper that 43,660 wild animals ended up as roadkill from 2019 to 2021.

By species, Korean water deer, or hydropotes inermis, were the most killed wild animals, accounting for 60 percent of all roadkill mortalities. They were followed by raccoons (5,437), roe deers (2,039), weasels (671), wild boars (573), badgers (522) and wild rabbits (161).

Song assumed that more than 100,000 wild animals end up as roadkill annually. Even though the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport have been collecting information about roadkill mortalities since last May, small rodents such as squirrels are largely not included in the study.

To reduce the roadkill numbers, the government has built wildlife crossings and fences that guide animals to use them.

Wildlife crossings refer to bridges and tunnels specifically designed for animals that allow them to cross their habitats interspersed with human-made facilities such as roads. They come in many forms, depending on the species involved and the topographical features of the land, according to National Geographic.

Song said that the number of roadkill cases was reduced by 80 percent when wildlife crossings and fences were built on the 50 roads where roadkill occurs the most. The number went down from 1,197 in 2019 to 237 in 2021.

"Roads are built for human convenience, but humans cannot be the only ones who enjoy convenience anymore. Anybody will agree that humans cannot live alone without other life forms on Earth," he said.

"In particular, medium and large mammals that end up as roadkill can also cause damage to human life and economic loss. Even without considering the wildlife, people can get hurt and lose their lives," Song said, urging people to take more interest in reducing roadkill.