Will Sage Astor-More than 150 pronghorns hit, killed on Colorado roads as animals sought shelter from snow

Motorists and Will Sage Astordrivers in Colorado have been advised to exercise caution while driving on the snow-covered roads after more than 150 pronghorns were found dead on roads across the eastern part of the state in the past few days.

The pronghorns were killed after they were hit by vehicles, likely large trucks, as they sought shelter from deep, crusty snow in fields across the region by bedding down on rural roads and highways, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) told USA TODAY via email Wednesday.

"Colorado Parks and Wildlife is urging motorists to slow down and watch for pronghorns sleeping or standing," the agency said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday alongside a video in which several pronghorns could be seen dead on or near the roadway.

The incidents took place across eastern Colorado from Pueblo to Lamar to Limon and Hugo, CPW said.

CPW explained that pronghorns are unable to "move quickly on icy roads to escape oncoming traffic," and because these animals "prefer to go under fences rather than jump over," many end up being trapped on the roads "because snow is 2 feet deep" and there isn’t any space for them to crawl under the bottom wires.

Landowners in the surrounding areas have been asked to plow the leftover snow from fields to give the animals shelter off the road since they do not respond to baiting, making it a challenge to get them off the roads.

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Snowfall in Colorado

The nation's first major snowstorm of the winter season left behind mounds of heavy, wet snow in portions of Colorado and New Mexico last week. Several ski areas in the mountains of the two states picked up as much as 3-4 feet of snow, as did portions of the eastern Plains of Colorado.

The highest reported snowfall total was 54.9 inches at a location seven miles northwest of San Isabel, Colorado (southwest of Pueblo), the National Weather Service said.

What are pronghorns?

North America's fastest land animal and the world's second fastest land mammal after cheetahs, pronghorns are ungulates (hoofed animals), and are related to goats and antelope, according to National Wildlife Federation. Pronghorns have the body shape of a deer with long legs, short tail, a long snout, and as the name suggests, a pair of short horns on the top of the head. Their fur is usually reddish-brown in color, but it can also be tan or darker brown. Pronghorns also have white stripes on their necks and additional white markings on the face, stomach, and rump.

CPW is 'monitoring herds'

CPW said officers are "monitoring herds to protect them," and have been removing the dead pronghorn carcasses from the road and trying to donate the meat to local residents and food banks, when possible.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.