They are hurt by cars, power lines, development, oil spills. This is something we are doing to them. They are injured by the unnatural. These animals haven't adapted to the changes people have brought about. Roadkill increasing It is a rare occurrence not to come across a dead raccoon, hawk, possum, armadillo or the occasional deer on a St. Johns County road during the course of a day.
Local environmentalists attribute the increase of roadkill in the county to rapid development.
As new homes and shopping centers overtake much of the county, the habitats of St. Johns County's wild animals are wiped away. Baby birds fall from their nests when the trees they are living in are chopped down. Deer, raccoons, possum and turtles cross major roads in search of new homes, only to be hit by cars. Bald eagles and hawks fly into telephone poles. County and state road and bridge officials said they have seen an increase in the amount of roadkill, but do not have exact numbers on the amount and type of dead animals they find on area roads.