Today (7/3/2018) is the second anniversary of Mr.Enchilada the beloved sea otter’s tragic death. He was struck and killed by a vehicle when he was crossing Moss Landing Rd in California. Nobody might expect a sea otter on the road, but they sometimes do. There are two places known for sea otter crossing: Moss Landing Rd and Hwy 1, Jetty Rd and Hwy 1. If you drive in the area, remember to slow down and watch out for sea otters.
Why do animals cross the road?
Sea otters are marine mammals. So, they are supposed to float on their back in the water. How dare a marine mammal walk on the road?
Like deer, raccoons, skunks and any other animals in the wild, sea otters need to move from a place to place to feed, shelter, mate, and so on. The paths they take are vital for them. What happens when humans built a road which divide their paths of life? They need to find alternative paths or just cross the road we built. This is how a number of wild animals are killed on the road.
When we build a road through someone’s property, we should ask the owner of the property before building the road. Everybody knows it. But when we build the road across the grass fields or mountains or any other wild place, we will never ask the resident animals beforehand - because it is impossible. We build the road without any permissions from them. Some animals are so careful that they watch the traffic before they cross the road. Some are not so careful. Or they are not fortunate enough to avoid the traffic.
In Moss Landing, some sea otters cross the road to feed or rest on the other side of the road. There are culverts under the road and they can swim through to feed when the tide gates are open at low tides, but they are often stuck there when the gates close as the tides rise. They are very determined - and sometimes attempt to cross the road to go back to the other side to rest.
What can we do to decrease collision against wildlife?
Remember that the safety of drivers and passengers is the priority. Signs and traffic rules are made to protect not only drivers and passengers, but also animals in the wild. Always keep the speed limit and watch out for animals especially in the places where animal crossing signs are installed.
Signs installed in Moss Landing. Some drivers ignore the speed limit.
“Sea otter crosswalk” installed a few months after Mr.Enchilada’s death
at the site where he was struck and killed by a vehicle.
at the site where he was struck and killed by a vehicle.
Another sea otter using the “sea otter crosswalk” that was installed after Mr.Enchilada’s tragic death.
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