Do wildlife warning reflectors elicit aversion in captive macropods?

Install wildlife warning reflectors along roads

A replicated, controlled study in 2006 at two grassland sites in New South Wales, Australia (Ramp & Croft 2006) found that red Swareflex wildlife warning reflectors increased the proportion of bush wallabies Macropus rufogriseus fleeing approaching lights but red Strieter-Lite reflectors and white version of both types did not affect proportions of fleeing bush wallabies or red kangaroos Macropus rufus. A higher proportion of bush wallabies fled when lights shone at red Swareflex reflectors (8%) than when lights shone without reflectors (3%). There was no such response for red kangaroos (reflectors: 3%; no reflectors: 5%). There were no significant differences in fleeing response rates for bush wallabies when lights shone at red Strieter-Lite reflectors (with: 5%; without: 3%) or at white reflectors of either type (with: 5–6%; without: 3%). There were also no significant differences in fleeing response rates for red kangaroos when lights shone at red Strieter-Lite reflectors (with: 5%; without: 7%) or at white reflectors of either type (with: 3–5%; without: 5%). In two grassland enclosures, a ‘road’ strip was mown and had 55-W lights installed in pairs every 20 m. Sequentially activating these lights mimicked approaching cars. Wildlife warning reflectors (Swareflex and Strieter-Lite) were placed on either side of the road at 20-m intervals. Over three days, animals were exposed to one night with no lights, one night with lights and no reflectors and one night with lights and reflectors. This three-day sequence was repeated 15 times and fleeing behaviour was surveyed using infrared cameras.

(Summarised by: Ricardo Rocha)