Acta Vet. Brno 2026, 95: 299-307
Mammals injured by road traffic in the Czech Republic: Trends, seasonal patterns, and outcomes in wildlife rehabilitation centres (2011–2020)
Wild animals are exposed to many negative effects associated with anthropogenic activity, while the impact of transport is one of the most important factors in urbanized and suburban areas. During the years 2011–2020, a total of 3,789 mammals injured by vehicles were admitted to 36 rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic, and an increasing trend (P < 0.05) in the numbers of such disabled animals was identified over this ten-year period. The greatest proportion of animals admitted as a consequence of vehicle collision to rehabilitation centres was represented by the order of even-toed ungulates (27.87%), led by the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), insectivores (24.81%) with the western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) being the most represented species, and carnivores (21.75%), among which red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were admitted most frequently. Traffic-related injured mammals were most frequently admitted during the summer period. The length of stay in released mammals was similar (P > 0.05) between insectivores and carnivores (median 22 and 24 days, respectively) and the same (P > 0.05) in rodents and hares (median length of stay 8 days). From the total dataset of 3,789 admitted injured mammals, only 8.95% of individuals were successfully released back into the wild. From the obtained results, it is evident that the chance of release for mammals admitted to rehabilitation centres after collisions with vehicles is not very high. Given the low success rate of care, the study particularly highlights the importance of preventive measures in the landscape.
Keywords
Animal rescue, transport infrastructure, treatment, release, mortality.
