Danger Ahead --- Randy Roebucks On The Roads !

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Thinking of modern day Germany you may think more of Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Porsche than of wild boar, roebucks, stags and foxes. You may be surprised to learn that nearly one third of the country is covered with forests. Of course, car drivers should always pay attention when driving. Yet, at this time of year they should pay even more attention than usual if they want to survive their trip and arrive home in an undamaged car. It’s mating season for deer and stags. That means that even more animals than usual may cross the roads - also in daytime - and cause accidents because they’re ‘blind with love’ according to forest officials. Especially roebucks are permanently looking for females wanting to mate. If the male has found a specimen, it may drive it for hours across fields, meadows, through forests and also across roads until it is ready. They do this in circles. The traces they leave are called ‘witch rings’. Reduced speed of cars may save the animals’ and also the drivers’ lives. The numbers of accidents including wild animals is enormous. Last year, more than 195.000 deer and 26.000 wild boar died on German roads. Insurance companies paid ~600 million Euro (nearly $700 million) for the damages caused by wildlife accidents. Encounters with wild animals may be thrilling for city dwellers. But there are encounters one can do without. You have been warned !