Motorists are being warned to watch out for wild animals as the season changes and rising numbers bring them closer to roads.

A large sign at the entrance to the Cromwell Gorge between Cromwell and Clyde warns of wandering wildlife and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency(NZTA) say the

worst culprits here are goats.

“Last year two emergency response vehicles struck two goats within a few hours of one another,” Robert Choveaux, senior NZTA network manager for Central Otago

said.

Goats, pigs and deer are often seen on Central Otago roadsides, particularly as winter closes in and they move to lower altitudes and look for fresh food sources.

Choveaux says it is a sort of “seasonal migration” mostly involving goats. “It catches numerous people off guard. We used the term wildlife as “stock” suggests

sheep or cows and we want people to be aware it may not be a domestic or farm animal.”

Wild deer numbers are on the rise across Otago and Southland, as are the incidents of associated road accidents.

Handsome chap…a stag snapped by a game camera near Naseby. Image: Ossie Brown

Between 2017 and mid last year there were 43 accidents involving deer wandering on roads in Otago and Southland. Two of these caused serious injuries and three

minor injuries, according to NZTA data.

The number of deer-related accidents more than doubled from 2018 to 2019 but subsequently dropped, likely due to the dramatic drop in traffic levels following

Covid-19 restrictions. NZTA say the number of accidents were likely to be under- reported as people tended not to report minor and non-injury incidents.

Wild deer are being sighted more frequently near residential areas in Central Otago, especially in and around remoter settlements such as Naseby.