Stray Animal Signs
Table of Contents
1. Policy Statement
Stray Animal Signs will be provided where unfenced sections of pastoral land dedicated for livestock bounds a State Road, subject to guideline conditions .These guidelines do not address situations where stock is crossing or being driven along a State Road. Stock crossing and droving requirements are available in our Stock Crossings Policy and Application Guidelines.
2. Definitions
Refer to Main Roads Glossary of Terms guidelines which provide the most commonly used terminology used by Main Roads.
| Term | Definitions |
| Main Roads | Main Roads Western Australia |
| Major Intersection | An intersection that has a typical total daily turn volume into a State Road of at least 75 vehicles per day averaged over a year, or if a tourist road at least 75 vehicles per day averaged over a 3-month period. |
| Pastoral Area | Lease-hold land for pastoral use. |
| Town | A gazetted townsite with habitable buildings. |
3. Scope
3.1 Background
The owner of stock in pastoral areas is not legally required to contain the stock from entering a road reserve, nor is the road authority required to take measures to restrain the stock from entering their road reserves. Thus, roads in pastoral areas are typically unfenced.
Pastoral areas also have reasonable numbers of wild animals such as goats, horses, donkeys, camels, and water buffalo as well as large native species such as kangaroos and emus. Motorists may be confronted with numerous types of animals straying on to the road.
Australian Standard 1742.2 Section 4.11.5 (Stock) states that the Stock warning sign (W5-38) shall be used to warn of the possibility of unexpected wandering stock on an unfenced road; and if the length of unfenced road exceeds 1km then the supplementary sign “NEXT . . . km” (W8-17-1) should also be used.
Australian Standard 1742.2 Section 4.11.6 (Hazardous wildlife) states that the Kangaroos warning sign (W5-29) shall be used to warn of the possibility of kangaroos being a hazard; and if the section of road exceeds 1km, then the supplementary sign “NEXT . . . km” (W8-17-1) should also be used. Other Australian Standard signs depicting other hazardous wildlife include, Camel (W5-44), Emu (W5-45), Wild Horse (W5-46), Wombat (W5-48) and Deer (W5-51).
Western Australia has vast pastoral areas and State Roads in these areas are hundreds of kilometres in length. It is therefore desirable that drivers on State Roads in pastoral areas be made aware that numerous types of either stock and/or wildlife could be on the road.
Therefore, for State Roads in pastoral areas, Main Roads has STRAY ANIMALS signs to warn drivers that stock and/or wildlife may stray onto the road, as follows :
- MR-WDO-32-1, featuring MR-WDO-34D (Kangaroos and Stock)
- MR-WDO-32-2, featuring MR-WDO-33D (Kangaroos and Emu)
- MR-WDO-32-3, featuring W5-38D (Stock)
- MR-WDO-38 (2 SYMBOLS)
- MR-WDO-39 (3 SYMBOLS)
- Sign symbols for MR-WDO-38 and MR-WDO-39 can be any of the Australian Standard warning signs, either W5-38, (Stock), W5-29, (Kangaroos), W5-44 (Camel), W5-45 (Emu), W5-46 (Wild Horse), W5-48 (Wombat) or Deer (W5-51). No other sign symbols should be used.
3.2 Application
This guideline applies to roads designated as State Roads in pastoral regions of Western Australia .
State roads can be determined by using the specific search tool located on the home page of Main Roads WA.
Local Governments may use this guideline as a reference for installing similar signs on Local Roads in pastoral regions, where appropriate.
3.3 Approval
Regional Managers may approve Stray Animals signs and Repeater signs on State Roads in pastoral areas in accordance with this guideline.
4. Technical Guidelines
4.1 Stray Animals Signs (MR-WDO-38, MR-WDO-39,MR-WDO-32-1, MR-WDO-32-2, or MR-WDO-32-3)
Technical details for the Stray Animals warning sign are summarised in Table 1.
The distance on the sign shall be the lesser of the distance to:
- The next Stray Animals sign,
- The next townsite boundary,
- The start of where fences in good condition are present on road reserve boundaries continuously for a minimum distance of 50km, or
- The end of the road (e.g. at the terminating leg of a T-intersection).
| “CAUTION STRAY ANIMALS (MR-WDO-34D)” MR-WDO-32-1 Kangaroos and Stock Sign Size: 2400 X 2590mm |
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| “CAUTION STRAY ANIMALS (MR-WDO-33D)” MR-WDO-32-2 Kangaroos and Emu Sign Size: 2400 X 2590mm |
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| “CAUTION STRAY ANIMALS (W5-38D)” MR-WDO-32-3 Stock Sign Size: 2400 X 2590mm |
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| “CAUTION STRAY ANIMALS (2 SYMBOLS)” MR-WDO-38 Sign Size: 2400 X 2200mm See section 4.2 for symbol types |
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| “CAUTION STRAY ANIMALS (3 SYMBOLS)” MR-WDO-39 Sign Size: 2800 X 2200mm See section 4.2 for symbol types |
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4.2 Symbol Types
The following warning signs can be used as symbols on Stray Animal signs, MR-WDO-38 and MR-WDO-39:
- Stock – W5-38,
- Kangaroos – W5-29,
- Camel – W5-44,
- Emu – W5-45,
- Wild Horse – W5-46,
- Wombat – W5-48 and
- Deer – W5-51
The Region should select the warning symbols that represent the animal types encountered along a length of unfenced road, based on local knowledge and/or consultation with pastoral lessees. Consideration should also be given to any road user complaints received by the Region.
For example, if no pastoral stock are grazed along the unfenced road length, and both kangaroos and emus are likely to be encountered along the road section, then the relevant warning signs for kangaroos and emus should be used on the Stray Animals signs.
4.3 Repeater Signs (MR-WDO-33D, W5-38, W5-29 or W5-45)
Technical details of the repeater warning signs are summarised in Table 2.
If the section of unfenced road covered by the repeater sign is greater than 1km, then a “NEXT . . . KM” supplementary plate (W8-17-1) is to be placed on the sign.
Repeater signs are to be installed in accordance with Main Roads’ standard drawing 9548-106
| "KANGAROOS & EMUS” MR-WDO-33D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “KANGAROOS & STOCK” MR-WDO-34D Sign size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “STOCK” W5-38D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “KANGAROOS” W5-29D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “CAMEL” W5-44D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “EMU” W5-45D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “WILD HORSE” W5-46D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “WOMBAT” W5-48D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| “DEER” W5-48D Sign Size: 1200 X 1200 mm |
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| "NEXT . . . KM" W8-17-1 Sign Size: 750 x 450 mm Size of distance tag should match size of warning sign |
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4.4 Sign Locations
On State Roads, Stray Animals (MR-WDO-32-1, MR-WDO-32-2, MR-WDO-32-3, MR-WDO-38 or MR-WDO-39) warning signs shall be installed:
- At the commencement of unfenced roads,
- Along unfenced roads on the leaving side of major intersections, towns, or roadhouses.
For the purpose of this Policy, a major intersection is defined as an intersection that has a typical total daily turn volume into a State Road of at least 75 vehicles per day averaged over a year, or if it is a tourist road, at least 75 vehicles per day averaged over a 3-month period.
Repeater (MR-WDO-33D , MR-WDO-34D, W5-38, W5-29, or W5-45) warning signs shall be installed:
- Every 10 to 15 kilometres where the section of unfenced road exceeds 1 kilometre,
- At recurrent crash sites, and
- At areas where animals regularly congregate in the vicinity of the road such as watering points, waterways, and cattle yards.
Signs shall be placed on the left side of the carriageway in accordance with Drawing 8720-0762
5. References and related documents
| Document Number | Description |
| D22#564655 | Stock Crossings Policy and Application Guidelines |
| AS 1742.2 | Manual of uniform traffic control devices Part 2: Traffic control devices for general use |
| 8720-0762 | Standard Drawing for Two & Three Post Signs. Location Details. Lateral Placement and Height Details. |
| 9548-106 | Location Details for Single Post Signs. |
| 200331-0150 | Warning Sign Caution Stray Animals MR-WDO-32-1, MR-WDO-32-2, MR-WDO-32-3 |
| 201631-0022 | Warning Sign Caution Stray Animals MR-WDO-38 |
| 201631-0023 | Warning Sign Caution Stray Animals MR-WDO-39 |
| 200431-0027 | Warning Sign Kangaroos and Emu MR-WDO-33D |
| 200431-0028 | Warning Sign Kangaroos and Stock MR-WDO-34D |