Urgent plea to drivers after shocking dashcam footage emerges from rural Aussie road
The confronting footage, captured on a rural road north of Hobart, shows the dashcam driver slowing down on a dark road after spotting the endangered marsupial on the road's edge.
As the occupants in the car express their delight at spotting the devil, another vehicle suddenly overtakes them, mowing down the frightened animal.
The car fails to stop or slow down, driving off into the distance as the dashcam driver screams obscenities in shock.
The devil tumbles over the road, coming to a stop on his back with all four legs in the air. Thankfully, he wasn't killed in the collision, with the dashcam driver saying she was able to move him off the road once he "came to".
John Grant from animal rescue service WIRES told Yahoo News drivers should be particularly alert at dusk and dawn, when many native animals forage.
'Many Australian wildlife species including Tasmanian devils, koalas, kangaroos, gliders and echidnas are nocturnal and are most active between dusk until dawn,' he said.
'During winter months in particular, with dusk as early as 5–5.30pm, the nightly foraging for these animals coincides with peak hour traffic and they are at far greater risk of car strike — crossing roads and highways searching for food and water, especially in rural areas.'
Mr Grant said drivers should be aware that native animals, like pets, "have no road sense" and can run out from roadside undergrowth "without warning".
'The best advice is to slow down and be extra cautious when driving through known wildlife areas and observe any wildlife alert signage.'
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Unlike the reckless driver in the video, motorists are urged to stop and check on the animal.
"They can pull over if safe to do so and firstly check if the animal is deceased and if it has a pouch,' Mr Grant said.
'They can also check the surrounding area in case a joey has been thrown from the pouch on impact. If you do find a joey, keep it warm and quiet so it isn't caused any further stress and take it straight to the nearest vet and/or call WIRES 24/7 rescue office on 1300 094 737 or your nearest wildlife rescue group.'
For anyone who finds an injured animal on the road, he warned that approaching them without training can be dangerous as injured animals can be aggressive when they are in pain.
Good samaritans should never try to rescue eagles, hawks, adult kangaroos, wombats or bats on their own. Instead, call a wildlife rescue group for help.
Important tips to remember when dealing with injured wildlife:
Time is critical. The quicker an animal is taken into care, the better the chance of survival
Take note of the exact location and give as much detail as possible to the rescue team
Tasmania, NSW and south-east Queensland
WIRES - 1300 094 737
Other parts of Queensland
RSPCA QLD - 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625)
Victoria
Wildlife Victoria - (03) 8400 7300
South Australia
Fauna Rescue SA - (08) 8289 0896
Western Australia
Wildcare Helpline - (08) 9474 9055.
ACT
ACT Wildlife - 0432 300 033
NT
Wildcare NT - Darwin 0408 885 341, Alice Springs 0419 221 128 and Katherine 0412 955 336
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