What to do if you hit a wild animal?

Every driver has faced a situation where a wild animal suddenly runs onto the road.

Every driver has faced a situation where a wild animal suddenly runs onto the road. Unfortunately, some of these encounters have sad consequences, if only for the animal. In such cases, many motorists, having caught their breath, rush to leave the scene, thinking, thank God, they got away with it, and there's nothing that can be done for the poor animal. Others, estimating the carcass weight and calculating the accidental profit, load the hit animal into the trunk, without considering that they are breaking the law.

For the illegal movement or butchering of wild animals, which are objects of hunting, including deceased ones, or their parts, the legislation provides for administrative or criminal liability. A criminal case under Article 282-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus may be initiated if the driver has already been held liable for the same offense within a year. In this case, they face punishment in the form of a fine, correctional labor for up to two years, or arrest. If the crime was committed on a large scale, or in a nature reserve, or if the hit animal is listed in the Red Book, the offender may be punished not only with a fine but also with arrest, restriction, or even deprivation of liberty.

The actions of a driver who simply picks up a wild animal already hit by someone else on the highway will also be qualified from a legal standpoint. It does not matter if it is a hare, a roe deer, or a wild boar. All these animals are considered objects of hunting, which means a hunting license is required for their capture. Therefore, if you find a hit animal on the highway or hit one yourself and decide to take the carcass as compensation for the damaged car, remember that you may incur even greater damage by paying a significant fine.

How to avoid a dangerous encounter on the road?

As a rule, moose, roe deer, and wild boars are hit by vehicles, most often during dark hours. Biologists believe that the behavior of animals running towards headlights is explained by the fact that they associate this light with fire. The proximity of fire and danger makes animals flee, rushing to get to the other side of the road before the flame cuts off their escape. Therefore, they dart onto the roadway and find themselves directly in front of the car.

To avoid such an encounter, drivers should reduce their speed on stretches of road that pass through forest areas, and upon noticing a glimmer on the roadside, be

especially careful — it is possible that the animal's eyes are shining in the headlights. In this case, it is better to reduce the speed to a minimum until the dangerous section is left behind.

What to do if you hit an animal?

Firstly, do not approach the injured animal, it may be aggressive or infected with rabies. Act according to the traffic rules: mark the accident scene with an "emergency stop" sign, provide first aid to the victims, call the traffic police and, if necessary, an ambulance. Police officers, in turn, will contact the owners of hunting grounds and the territorial body of the Ministry of Natural Resources. If the accident occurred outside the zone of the "Wild Animals" sign, the driver did not exceed the speed limit, was sober and did not violate the rules, they will not have to pay compensation for the hit animal.