More sad news for wildlife: the report of the running over, and subsequent death, of an ocelot -also known as “manigordo” or “tigrillo” by locals- on the main road that communicates with Siquirres de Limón.
Gerardo León Chaverri, a neighbor of Siquirres, said that it occurred yesterday on that route when a heavy-loaded vehicle threw the animal that tried to cross the road. León said this the first time he watches a dead wild cat in this sector, but it is more common to watch deer crossing the road here.
In San Carlos, this year there have been more than 4 running overs of wild cats, with a balance of 2 dead ocelots, 1 dead cougar, and 1 injured ocelot. Consequently, there is a need to drive with caution to avoid further damage to wildlife.
Being concerned by the constant deaths of animals on the road, which have occurred in this region and other parts of the country, the authorities of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and various institutions call on drivers’ consciousness to drive with caution when passing through forested areas or of constant transit of wildlife animals.
When traveling through a mountainous or forested area with blind curves that you do not know, you must reduce the speed to avoid dodging in case of running over an animal on the road.
Generally, the most likely to jump on the road are tapirs, cougars, ocelots, anteaters, armadillos, and foxes. The larger the animal is, the greater the risk will be. Therefore, realizing their presence on time is key in order to avoid running over.
If the driver sees it from a distance, he must always pass it on the right, if conditions permit, to avoid frontal collision with another vehicle, and at a very low speed because the animal might be disoriented and its reaction might be unpredictable.
In the extreme case of finding the animal a few meters from the vehicle, it is recommended that you do not try to deviate. It is better to stop as much as possible and keep the steering wheel strong than playing it to make a sudden maneuver and hit a tree or lose the direction of the car.
Caution must be maintained once an animal is left behind. In sharp turns, it is recommended to sound the horn to scare them and make them go away.
Among the factors that influence the running overs is the level of transit flow, the vehicle’s speed, the width of the road, the behavior of the species, and the thickness of the vegetation cover.
