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Mass accidents involving wild animals: Lengerich's streets become a danger zone!
On December 28th, 2025, current reports from Lengerich show alarming wildlife accidents on country roads. Investigations and prevention projects require urgent attention.
Mass accidents involving wild animals: Lengerich's streets become a danger zone!
The roads around Lengerich are not only a connection for vehicles, but also a dangerous habitat for wildlife. A serious accident on August 31, 2024 on Osnabrücker Straße (L555) makes the problem particularly clear. A 25-year-old motorcyclist from Hasbergen collided with a fallow deer when the animal suddenly tried to cross the road. The impact resulted in serious injuries to the driver, who was taken to hospital. The damage to his motorcycle amounts to around 15,000 euros. Tragically, the fallow deer did not survive the collision, adding to an already worrying situation. The case makes it clear that game crossing is a problem all year round, but especially in autumn, when wild animals travel longer distances in search of food, as Nabu emphasizes.
Figures from the Lengerich police station show the extent of the problem: In 2024, 430 traffic accidents involving damage from game had already been registered by the end of September. There were a total of 566 accidents throughout the year. Hartmut Grotholtmann, a regional hunter, points out that slats are being erected along roads to direct wildlife to safe areas and reduce the danger to drivers. But current statistics and accidents show that this is just one of many measures needed to improve the situation.
Precautions and research
An interdisciplinary research team in Austria has the project WildWarn launched to improve the analysis and prevention of wildlife accidents. Every year in Austria there are around 300 wildlife accidents with personal injuries, in which around 330 people are injured. In this country, more than 77,000 wild animals are killed by road traffic every year.
The project aims to examine road sections and create a risk map that uses satellite image data, traffic and environmental information to show the risk zones. In the future, this data fusion could also be integrated into navigation apps to alert drivers to potential dangers. To strengthen road safety, it is essential to take such measures and better understand the causes of accidents.
The current incidents around Lengerich show that both local road authorities and the public must remain vigilant. The dangers surrounding wildlife crossings are high, especially in rural areas. Communication between hunters, traffic authorities and drivers plays a crucial role in increasing safety on our roads and protecting both people and animals.