It’s not talked about much, but one of the tragic realities of big snow hitting Colorado is an inevitable uptick in pronghorn deaths – but it’s not the cold weather or fresh powder that’s killing these magnificent animals, it’s drivers who plow into them. The brutal scene of a mass killing was captured on video and recently published by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, showing a group of at least 10 animals dead on a dirt road.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, more than 100 pronghorn have recently been killed on roads in Eastern Colorado after the 20-plus inches of snow that fell in the region has pushed these animals to roadways in search of refuge from deep snow. In recent days, pronghorns have been crowding roads in groups, either standing or sleeping, and can be difficult to avoid if a driver is traveling too fast or not paying attention.

It doesn’t help that while the pronghorn is the second-fast land mammal on the planet, it can’t move fast enough to escape oncoming traffic on icy roads. It can also be problematic that pronghorns naturally don’t like to jump over fencing, preferring to crawl under a fence instead. When big snow falls, it covers the gap below fencing that pronghorns use to escape roadways, thus leaving them trapped. Wildlife experts have also noted that pronghorn don’t respond to attempts to lure them away from dangerous areas.

All of these factors combined create a dangerous situation for both pronghorns and for drivers, making it crucial to take precautions and follow best practices when it comes to protecting these herds.

Drivers should slow down and stay aware, realizing that pronghorns might be difficult to see on the road – especially if they’re laying down on the road at night. Meanwhile, landowners should try to keep snow plowed on their fields to give the species space to shelter off of the road.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is continuing to monitor the situation by keeping an eye on herds and removing carcasses of those killed on roads around the state.

Do your part to keep pronghorns safe – slow down and pay attention.