Very Frustrated and Upset

[Alisana]

Not far from my office at university, there is a pedestrian crossing which is permanently lit by street lights. I would often ride past the area in the afternoons and watch (what I assume) were a pair of Kookaburras.

Very occasionally, I would feed them crickets or raw beef - but off the road, to keep them safe.

While I doubt the Kookaburras actually nested at the lights, I figured they nested nearby, but it was certainly their favourite hunting spot. They would swoop down onto the road and grab insects - large grasshoppers and moths being a favourite.

Sadly today, when driving back home, I found one lying dead in the middle of the road. I checked it over to see if it was breathing, and it was not. From the looks of it, it had suffered a severe head injury and was bleeding from the head. Calling security, I check to see if they wanted to notify the wildlife/onsite vet, but they said that given the Kookaburra had passed away, there was not much to do. I moved the body away from the main road and into the nearby bushland - to stop any raptors/scavengers from being hit by passing cars if they ate the body.

What I am so frustrated about is the lack of respect for whoever hit the bird. It is a 50km zone, and it was a pedestrian crossing on top of a large speedbump, in a well lit area. If people weren't speeding and had bothered to slow down for the speedbump, the kookaburra wouldn't have needlessly died. S/he has been there for at least three years, and anyone who has been out at the university in the afternoons/evenings would be familiar with its presence and pattern of swooping down to catch insects. Even if it had been an accident, they could have at least had the decency to move the bird off the road. Far too many animals die due to cars, and even more die when eating a dead animal. (A very strong reality in Australia with Kangaroo death tolls, followed by the deaths of birds like raptors or crows who are attracted by the body)

What does bother me even more though, was there was nothing I could do to save it. Even if it had been alive, there was a small pool of blood around the head area, and chances are it would've suffered multiple fractures.

I really hate it when animals die due to lack of consideration from people. I don't see why the kookaburra had to die in that area.

I'm half venting and half upset by the incident, and just wanted to let go of some of my feelings about it.

 

[Alisana]

... And what's even more upsetting is that I've read that kookaburras form permanent pair bonds and have strong family connections with their young, even after they've fully fledged. Regardless if it was a bonded pair, or a juvenile, that kookaburra family has lost a loved one.

 

[azdesertrhino]

It hurts me to see any animal/bird/critter injured, maimed or killed by vehicles or negligence of any sort.

I see it happen too often and most of the time it is people not paying attention to their surroundings.

Recently I've seen Deer and Javalina hit by vehicles that, unfortunately, the supposed drivers were too busy on their phone or eating and driving to see what was right in front of them.

There should be a law...........................

 

[evesta]

Last year I saw a oriole(beautiful orange) smooshed on the road and its mate kept going to it between cars. It broke my heart I am so careful about animals when I drive, I wish others were so careful...

 

[Mudkips]

It's just one of those things unfortunately.
If a kookaburra discovers that a streetlight is an easy way to get food, it has a much higher chance of getting hit by a car.

I'm not sure if you are aware, but kookaburras are a land-dwelling type of kingfisher, so they have evolved to dive head first at the ground. Prehaps this bird saw a small lizard crossing the tarmac and took a poorly judged dive at it - it's possible that a car may not have been involved at all.

Quote: "[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]I have watched a Kookaburra dive from a tree branch almost a dead weight and land head first with its beak stuck into the ground.When it pulled its beak out it contained a juicy worm."
Source: [/FONT]LAUGHING KOOKABURRA.

Hopefully this makes you feel a little bit better.

 

[Alisana]

It's just one of those things unfortunately.
If a kookaburra discovers that a streetlight is an easy way to get food, it has a much higher chance of getting hit by a car.

I'm not sure if you are aware, but kookaburras are a land-dwelling type of kingfisher, so they have evolved to dive head first at the ground. Prehaps this bird saw a small lizard crossing the tarmac and took a poorly judged dive at it - it's possible that a car may not have been involved at all.

Quote: "[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]I have watched a Kookaburra dive from a tree branch almost a dead weight and land head first with its beak stuck into the ground.When it pulled its beak out it contained a juicy worm."
Source: [/FONT]LAUGHING KOOKABURRA.

Hopefully this makes you feel a little bit better.

I hope that this is true.... but as I mentioned, they feed in that area all the time - and have been there for at least three years. I would like to believe that people are careful around university, but I have seen enough idiot drivers, namely students, speeding around campus and bragging about doing "100km around the bend at Engineering".

Two years ago, a cyclist got hit at university by a driver speeding, and was in a critical condition. He survived, but was very lucky. My supervisor said that it was a very bad sight. We have large speedbumps in place (with the exception of the bend/corner near Engineering - hence speeding remarks from students) but drivers just fly over them, using them as "ramps" :\

I would like to believe in humanity and people's compassion, but their actions cause me to think otherwise... I really hope it was just an accident and not carelessness/malicious intent.

 

[bumblebec]

It's said when things like that happen, some people are just so oblivious and self focused they wouldn't even notice a bird on the road, but some people are just plain cruel, too.

When I was still living in NSW, I was in the car with my mum. We were driving down a local street when mum stopped suddenly to avoid a MASSIVE lizard on the road. This thing looked longer then my leg! It was HUUUGE. We stopped to avoid hitting it and as this was a very quiet road, we stopped and watched it for a few seconds because it was so cute and happy just sunning it's self. While we were watching it, this (stupid) woman came hurtling around the bend on her phone and ran over it, killing it in front of us. It was horrible. If the stupid, careless woman hadn't have been on her phone there's no way she could've missed it, it was so huge and a completely different colour to the road.

People are either oblivious to things or just don't care, I know few people who would actually try to purposely hit wildlife on the road, too, I think it's disgusting.

 

[ann]

im so sorry to hear that, if only people paid attention . when people cross the street texting and paying no attention and almost get hit by a car they start flipping everyone off and yelling, its so annoying! If they want people to pay attention to their safety, they should pay attention to others safety, including animals!

 

[TheMajesticPalmCockatoo]

I feel so bad for the poor Kooka
Oh well, you did the best you could do and that was very greatful

 

[luvmytooo]

Sad....very sad .

 

[MaraWentz]

That's sad, but I agree that whether it was an accident or not people should pull it off the side of the road so others don't crush it. My hubby does't agree and he was very frustrated when he hit a deer and it died right on impact and cried until he moved it off to the side of the road. Many people don't want to touch a wild animal due to germs and bacteria, let alone a dead one, but I say we must take at least some responsibility for our actions.

 

[BarkleyLoves]

That makes me so sad. I tried to stop for a dog that was down on the side of the road, but couldn't do anything for it. I live in TX where idiots can't even follow the speed limit.

Coversely, I almost crashed into a lady who suddenly slammed on her brakes, it turns out there was a lost dog in the road and we stopped to help it.

I even get upset if it's a squirrel in the road.

 

[Alisana]

That's sad, but I agree that whether it was an accident or not people should pull it off the side of the road so others don't crush it. My hubby does't agree and he was very frustrated when he hit a deer and it died right on impact and cried until he moved it off to the side of the road. Many people don't want to touch a wild animal due to germs and bacteria, let alone a dead one, but I say we must take at least some responsibility for our actions.

I agree. While you may not be able to control an animal running out in front of your car (accidents can happen), you can at least show respect to the animal's body and move it off the road. Doing so shoes decency and also stops any other animals from getting killed - whether it is the mate/companion of the animal who wants to lay next to their deceased companion, or if it's carrion animals wanting to eat.

I've seen and heard time and time again, birds that stay by their companions, either trying to get them to move, mourning their body, or just staying near by. You might be familiar with the example of Barn Swallows: http://scientopia.org/blogs/thissci...f-lifes-tiny-dramas-captured-forever-on-film/

 

[Newticus]

I'm so sorry! It's always to nice when animals come back to their favorit breeding or hunting ground. They become familiar to us as we see them all the time. They are natures pets in a sense cause you feel like you get to know them.
I had a cat run over in a quiet residential neighbourhood. Because of the nature of most of the drivers and the type of people who lived in the neighbourhood, I am willing to bet someone purposly ran down my cat. I never would have known what happened to her if some kind lady hadn't found it unbearable to leave her on the side of the road. She took my little lady Ophelia home with her and called me to tell me she had found her and that I could come and pick up the body to bury her. She now rests with her best feline friend who passed away before her of FIV under a big pine tree at my parents cottage.

 

[Birdlover11]

Sad , makes me want to cry. Some people don't even have any respect to the dead.