Abstract

Topic: Moose management and monitoring


Temporal patterns of moose-train collisions in three countries – similarities and differences

Karolina D. Jasińska1, Dagny Krauze-Gryz1, Carolin Berndt2, Roy V. Rea3, Kenneth N. Child4, Daniel A. Aitken5, Andreas Seiler6, Emma Håkansson7, Henrik Wahlman7, Mattias Olsson7

  1. Department of Forest Zoology and Wildlife Management, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
  2. Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
  3. Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
  4. University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
  5. College of New Caledonia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
  6. Department of Ecology, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Riddarhyttan, Sweden
  7. EnviroPlanning AB, Göteborg, Sweden

Wildlife-vehicle collisions have become increasingly common, and incidents with trains are no exception. Numerous collisions with moose occur every year on railway tracks around the world, causing death to animals, endangering human health, and causing damage to vehicles. Comparing data from different countries provides a unique possibility to identify factors that may be linked to moose-train collisions. With this knowledge, more effective and better-targeted mitigation can be designed to reduce the impact on both animals and traffic. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the temporal patterns of moose-train collisions from three different countries across the ranges of moose: Canada, Sweden, and Poland. Data was obtained from railway administrations from each country and covered different time periods. In Canada and Sweden, data was collected over 20 years (Canada: 1990-2011, Sweden: 2001-2021), while in Poland data was collected for 4 years (2012-2015). The highest number of collisions was recorded in Sweden (21,918), and only 171 collisions were recorded in Poland during that time. While Canada and Sweden have the highest moose populations on a global scale, Poland has a smaller moose population, and their range is limited to the eastern part of the country. Moose-train collisions in Sweden and Canada occurred most often during the winter season (December-April), while in Poland most collisions occurred during Autumn (September-November). Data from Sweden and Poland included the hour when the collision happened, and in both countries, the highest number of moose-train collisions was recorded twice a day, in the morning and evening. We suggest these daily and seasonal patterns in moose-train collisions may reflect the daily movements and seasonal habitats selected by moose. Knowing the similarities and differences between moose-train collisions in these countries helps to adapt mitigation measures to reduce the number of moose-train collisions and protect moose. In addition, monitoring the number of moose-train collisions may also allow us to monitor the number of moose in different countries.