Roadkill Is the New Orange: Milwaukee’s Fall is Getting Deadly for Wildlife

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While fall settles over UWM, the campus fills with the familiar shuffle of students layered in hoodies and jackets. As we adjust to the temperature, wildlife moves with the season, too. Squirrels sprint across pavement, deer cut through neighborhood parks, and smaller animals rush to prepare for winter. This year, like many before it, that movement turns deadly on Milwaukee’s roads.

Raccoon roadkill by Brown Deer Park. Credit: Sky Abner

Driving in from Brown Deer each morning, I watch the city wake up with headlights, crosswalks and buses. But woven into that routine is a harder sight to ignore. The closer I get to campus, the more animals I see lying along the roads, caught between their world and ours.

Each fall, wildlife activity spikes as animals prepare for winter, gather food and relocate to safer habitats. Natural behaviors turn dangerous in a city built around cars, traffic and limited green space. To understand the issue more deeply, I dive into interviews with wildlife advocates, biologists, and environmental reporters to explain why the fall season is particularly deadly for animals and what Milwaukee drivers can do to reduce harm.

Why Fall Is the Most Dangerous Season for Wildlife

UWM biology professor Chris Young, director of Conservation and Environmental Science and head organizer of the Conservation Club, says fall triggers major behavioral changes.

“Fall is definitely a time when animals are moving around a lot more,” Young said. “Some are migrating, some are gathering food, and some are establishing winter shelter.”

Young said the problem isn’t the movement itself; instead, animals are evolutionarily unprepared for modern traffic.

“They’re conditioned to be wary of predators, not vehicles,” he said. “A squirrel’s natural response is to stop and change direction quickly. That works against a fox, but not against a car going 40 miles per hour.”

Young says this year looks especially active because Milwaukee’s trees produced more nuts, which increased movement and foraging.

A squirrel is standing in the grass. Credit: StuffISawOutside

Popular Science says that squirrels typically bury several thousand nuts and acorns each year, demonstrating an impressive instinct for survival. With that in mind, Young said, “A big nut year means more squirrels moving, and more squirrels crossing roads.”

A Journalist’s Viewpoint on How This Affects Our Environment

Environmental journalist Isiah Holmes of the Wisconsin Examiner says the rise in roadkill shows how disconnected many people are from their environment.

“Wildlife and environmental stories are important for any urban environment because they remind people there’s a bigger picture to life than what’s right in front of them,” Holmes said. “It’s healthy for people to see green spaces and landscapes, and to realize they don’t have to leave the city to experience nature.”

Furthermore, Holmes said a major challenge is getting people to understand how much wildlife matters.

“Sometimes people are so disconnected from themselves and their immediate environment that they forget the beauty in all the things they don’t always see but depend on,” he said. “Even the worms you never see are the reason we have healthy soil.”

The Milwaukee River. Credit: Sky Abner

Holmes says Milwaukee’s road system cuts through habitats and threatens wildlife.

“There’s a lot of roadkill and a lot of habitats being bisected by roads,” he said. “That causes its own harms, but I’ve also seen some improvements.”

UWM campus intersection. Credit: Sky Abner

He points to wildlife returning to areas where they hadn’t appeared in decades.

“I’ve seen bald eagles I’d never seen before and different kinds of wildlife thriving,” he said. “Wisconsin has put more focus on preserving our rivers, lakes and urban environments.”

Holmes says any effort to protect wildlife must include the communities that have lived on and cared for this land the longest.

“Places like Wisconsin have strong Indigenous histories,” he said. “We need to make sure the communities that have managed this land for tens of thousands of years are brought into these discussions.”

How Drivers Can Reduce Collisions

Mark Silverman, who works with the  Wisconsin Animal Protection Society and is launching a new student organization at UWM focused on animal issues, says drivers hold more power than they realize.

WAPS UWM student organization poster. Credit: Mark Silverman

“The Wisconsin Animal Protection Society has existed since 1990. We’re a nonprofit organization and we provide advocacy and education on behalf of animals,” Silverman said. “There’s always something you can do to help animals in the areas where you see a lot of them.”

In addition, Silverman says even small driving changes can save lives.

“Driving during daylight hours is helpful. You can’t always do that, of course,” he said. “Just drive slower when it’s safe to drive slower, like through a park or areas where squirrels are really active.”

A Milwaukee highway. Credit: Sky Abner

Silverman recommends several steps during peak wildlife movement:

  • Slow down in wooded or high-animal-traffic areas.
  • Stay alert during dawn and dusk, when animals move the most.
  • Watch road edges for quick movements.
  • Support conservation efforts and wildlife education programs.

He says awareness often decides whether an animal survives.

“Being mindful on the road helps protect these animals,” he said. “They’re just trying to survive the season, the same way we are.”