Eerie dashcam footage captures ‘rare’ sight on Aussie highway
On a dimly-lit Queensland motorway, the animal appears from the side of the road and casually strolls across it, narrowly avoiding disaster.
An Australian council is urging drivers to be on extra alert for rogue animals crossing busy thoroughfares after a deer was captured on dashcam narrowly avoiding a collision on a state highway.
Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland has warned motorists to practise caution after the animal — which is considered an invasive and feral pest in Australia — was spotted crossing the Sunshine Motorway at the Mooloolaba interchange on Tuesday.
An estimated 10 million mammals are killed on Australian roads every year in a worsening issue which is costing drivers big bucks in vehicle repairs. Human deaths and injuries from these collisions are similarly on the rise, with motorcyclists at greatest risk, according to Emergency Medicine Australasia.
Council investigating where deer came from
In the dashcam, the deer is seen barely visible during one driver's late-night cruise. On the dimly-lit road, the animal appears from the lefthand side of the double-lane motorway and casually walks across it, narrowly missing the vehicle.
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"Sunshine Coast Council officers are investigating where the deer came from and where it went," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"Reports of deer east of the Bruce Highway are rare, with previous sightings at Yandina and west of Coolum. Council has notified the Queensland Government’s Transport and Main Roads (TMR) department."
Yahoo News Australia has contacted the council for an update on their investigations. They have urged motorists in the meanwhile to use caution and report any deer sightings in the area without delay.
Why are deers considered a pest in Australia?
Deer are prolific breeders and pose a major threat to Australia's natural landscape.
In 1980, there were about 50,000 feral deer in Australia. By 2002 the population was estimated to have grown to 200,000. Now, the population is likely to have reached more than two million — roughly the same as the number of farmed pigs in the country.
Species that have established in Australia include red, fallow, chital, sambar, rusa, and hog deer. They pose a threat to our agriculture by competing with livestock for grazing resources, dispersing weeds, damaging crops and fences, and potentially spreading disease.
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