The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

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The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

The Harriton Banner

The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

The Harriton Banner

Our Dear Deer!

Rachel Metz
Staff Writer

I am assuming that we have all heard of the deer culling that began in Lower Merion Township just a few weeks ago. There are two main questions a person has to ask his or her self when thinking about this issue: Did this happen because of us? And what else could we have done? It is clear that the number of car-deer accidents are increasing because we have intruded upon their land. If the deer had as much free land to roam as they had many years ago, there would not be nearly as many accidents. But due to extensive building in Lower Merion, fields and wooded areas have been reduced to a minimum, leaving little space for the animals. There used to be a patch of woods at the end of a street near me, with a decent sized house on the edge of it. Now, a few years later, that house has been demolished and three new McMansions have been built, with more forest being cleared out for another. So yes, we called in sharpshooters because of a bad situation that we humans have created. It is obvious that the numbers of deer in this area are way above average, but we are the ones that are pushing them closer and closer together into smaller areas because we have taken all of theirs.
Another alternative to killing is the Strieter-Lite system. Strieter-Lite reflectors create reflected light that appears to be moving, with the intent to keep deer, elk, moose, and other wild animals from crossing a road until a car passes. Deer, along with many other wild animals, have very sharp night vision and do not need bright lights to alert or discourage them from crossing the street. The effect of the reflectors to the driver are hardly noticeable, because they aim light across the road and not back to the driver.
As a vehicle approaches and drives by the crossing point, the Strieter-Lites reflect the light from the headlights and moves across the road to the other reflectors as the angle of the light from the vehicle changes. Depending on the deer’s distance from the road, the deer is likely to see the light from many reflectors simultaneously, basically seeing a row of lights that appear to be moving. Deer, along with many other creatures, are alerted by any movement around them, especially while in motion. With this system, deer have been observed to either retreat or wait until the lights cease. An additional system is called RADS (Roadside Animal Detection System). It uses radio sensors to detect large animals, such as deer, approaching a roadway. If an animal gets too close to the road, the sensor activates a warning signal (typically a flashing yellow light), and drivers can see it easily and slow down.
It is not the fault of the animals. They are trying to survive in a drastically altered eco-system that has been pushed too far to the limit by humans. The deer should not be forced to change. We should, and we can. Slowing down on the roads will substantially cut down the number of collisions with deer. You are able to control your car in a more effective manner to avoid deer and you are more aware of the area around the vehicle. Think about it and take a look around.

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