This Tuesday, the morning routine of residents of the Vilnius microdistricts of Žirmūnai and Antakalnis was disrupted by an unexpected guest running around their yards – a moose was wandering around near cars and buildings. Later in the day, the wild animal was spotted in the city center, and in the evening it was captured in the Neris River. The beast that wandered into the city became the hero of the day – its wanderings were covered by the media, and people shared photos of the animal on social networks. Experts note that very often such encounters between animals and people in cities do not end without consequences.
As Artūras Juodeikis, director of the claims department at Lietuvos Draudimas, notes, fortunately, this time there were no reports of damage caused by the moose to residents' property. It seems that the animal itself was not harmed, although it had been wandering around busy city areas since the morning, moving along streets full of cars.
"Wild animals in the city are not new, as our cities have a lot of green spaces, parks, and some residential areas border forests. For example, Žirmūnas, and especially Antakalnis "It has a number of forested areas where you can meet various animals, including large ungulates. The city is constantly expanding, so people's desire to live closer to nature inevitably affects the behavior of animals," says A. Juodeikis.
According to the expert, the most common accident when large animals enter the city is a collision with cars, public and commercial transport. Wild animals are usually most active in the morning at sunrise and in the evening at sunset, so confrontations with animals on the road often occur during the "twilight" of the day.
"Every year we receive claims from drivers who cannot avoid collisions with animals in various cities of the country. However, the majority of such incidents are recorded in Vilnius and Beautiful – here, such cases number in the dozens. This can be partly explained by the fact that some of the busy transport arteries in these big cities run next to or through forested areas, where higher speeds are allowed, which is always an increased risk,” comments A. Juodeikis.
As the insurance company representative emphasizes, the most dangerous time for drivers is May, when ungulates give birth to young, young from previous years' litters begin an independent life, animals move a lot, are active. The second wave of ungulate activity is recorded after the end of the summer season - then their estrus begins, animals actively feed and prepare for the winter season.
"When it comes to compensation for damage when a car collides with a wild animal, mandatory driver's civil liability insurance does not compensate for the losses incurred in such a case - the third party that caused the damage is wild animals, which do not have civil liability insurance. In such a case, drivers' losses are compensated by voluntary comprehensive insurance, under the terms of which collisions with animals on the road are usually considered an insured event," says A. Juodeikis.
Insurers' statistics reveal that collisions with wild animals cause a lot of losses. According to data from "Lietuvos Draudimas", the average damage amount per collision is 2,4 thousand euros, but in the case of large animals, for example, a collision with a moose, the average damage is almost 5,5 thousand euros.
According to the damage data registered by the company, roe deer and wild boars are the most frequently involved in traffic accidents, and collisions with larger animals, such as moose and deer, are also inevitable.
A representative survey of the population conducted last year by Lietuvos Draudimas, commissioned by the Lithuanian Insurance Company, showed that a third of the country's population (34%) either themselves or someone close to them has been in an emergency situation at least once due to an animal unexpectedly jumping out onto the road.
According to the results of the study, residents of municipal district centers or rural areas are most at risk of encountering animals that have run into the road. However, according to the expert, city residents should also remain vigilant during the months when animals are most active.
"I would like to refute the myth that city residents do not face such disasters - yesterday's moose wandering to the center of Vilnius shows that such a risk is very real even within the city limits," notes A. Juodeikis.
