Railway fence traps wildlife as municipality and rail company dispute a solution

A two-kilometre fence built beside railway tracks between Vecāķi and Kalngale to stop pedestrians crossing has become a hazard for wildlife, LSM reported. A moose was killed after being hit by a train, prompting a dispute between the municipality and railway company Latvijas dzelzceļš over how to address the problem.

The fence was built in early summer as part of cycling infrastructure in Ādaži municipality. Some local residents initially objected that it forced them to take a longer route to the sea. They have now raised concerns about animals getting trapped against the barrier.

In September, a resident named Laura found a still-living moose lying by the fence while walking in the forest and picking mushrooms. She called municipal police and a hunter responsible for the area, who shot the animal.

Hunter Kaspars Šuikovskis said the outcome was foreseeable because the fence runs along only one side of the tracks. An animal crossing the railway can reach the barrier and look for a way around it. If a train approaches, it may panic and run back across the tracks, he said.

Šuikovskis said openings measuring 70 by 50 centimetres could be cut into the fence every 200 metres to let smaller animals through, including roe deer, wild boar, badgers, raccoons, foxes and hares. Such openings would not help moose, he said.

The collision happened on the evening of September 26. The train driver saw the moose and began braking sharply, but could not avoid hitting it. The train stopped while an employee checked its technical condition and the scene. Latvijas dzelzceļš spokesperson Karīna Muktupaule said the driver did not find the moose at the collision site and left after checking.

The cycling route connecting Carnikava with Riga is 12.1 kilometres long. The article says 11 kilometres were built in Ādaži municipality.