Development of an acoustic deterrent to prevent deer-train collisions

Abstract

Deer-train collisions have become a serious problem in Japan. Deer have been observed entering tracks through gaps in fences or at level crossings. To keep deer away from railway lines, an acoustic deterrent was developed and tested for effectiveness. The deterrent consists of a device that emits deer alarm calls and dog calls. Field observations revealed that playing back the deterrent sound towards deer near a track made them run away immediately. According to a survey on the frequency with which deer were observed near railway lines, emission of the deterrent sound from a train resulted in a 45 % reduction in the frequency with which deer were observed for every 100 km of train operation. These results confirmed the effectiveness of the deterrent sound as a measure to prevent deer-train collisions.