Between 2021 and 2023, there were 6,066 wildlife-related collisions in OPP Central Region. Those numbers increased within each year of that three-year period. In 2021, 1,820 collisions were reported. In 2022, there were 2,053 reported incidents. Meanwhile in 2023, the OPP recorded 2,193 wildlife-related collisions.
The majority occurred from October to December, with 85.5% involving deer. This was attributed to deer being more active at the end of the year due to the ruts and more wandering in search of food.
In 2020, Dr. Michael Drescher, a professor of conservation at the University of Waterloo, estimated that there are 14,000 wildlife-related collisions province-wide each year. At that time, he said this represented 10% of all automobile collisions in Ontario.
