A recent study conducted by the **National Institute of Biodiversity** and the **University of Guayaquil** pinpointed the main victims of **fauna run over** in the **Manglares Churute reserve**.
These incidents mainly occur because there is a road that crosses this protected area in Ecuador, located in **Guayas**.
The research, published in March but conducted over 12 months between **2016 and 2017**, revealed that **224 animals died** on the 51 kilometers of road that were studied.
## Fauna run over, in numbers: what happens in this Ecuadorian reserve
Among the native fauna victims, five different bird species appear. The **white herons, black vultures, black thrushes, snail kites, and barn owls**.
The researchers also identified mammals of four species that were run over. **Common opossums, crab-eating raccoons, Daule rabbits, and Guayaquil squirrels**.
They also detected two species of affected reptiles: Coastal killifish snakes and **green iguanas**.
According to the study, of the **224 animals found**, 89 were opossums, 35 snail kites, and 34 green iguanas. The only species with a single record was the killifish snake.
The text was published in the *Peruvian Journal of Biology*, authored by **Mayra González and Jaime Salas**.
## Why animals are run over in the reserve
The study analyzed different situations. An example is birds, which gather in **flocks of up to 15 individuals**, and usually perch on electric poles on roads where wetlands used to exist on the coast.
“It is suggested to evaluate if the impact of roads represents a threat (…). Some run-over individuals **could escape and die in adjacent areas** to the road,” explains part of the published text.
This means that run-over rates could even be “underestimated.”
Furthermore, scientists recommend that policies around the **construction of roads** near or within ecologically fragile areas must be mandatory.
This would include measures such as **wildlife crossings**, allowing them to cross the road safely.
Factors such as **precipitation, proximity to agricultural activities**, and settlements would also be points to consider in future studies, according to the researchers.
## Run-over, the main cause of wildlife loss in Argentina
The problem of animal run-over is not isolated. In Argentina, a report revealed last year that one of the main causes is **animal run-over** on the roads.
Generally, on roads that cross protected natural areas. This mainly occurs in the northern part of the country. Only in **Misiones** (specifically in the northern province), it is estimated that over **5000 individuals** die each year.
Mainly, this is due to people not respecting the established and signposted speed limits, as indicated by the **Wildlife Foundation Argentina**.
Have you visited our YouTube channel yet? Subscribe!
