Original article (in Serbian) was published on 14/11/2025; Author: Teodora Koledin
A reader of Tragač sent us a link to a post from the Facebook page Fact 27 claiming that the central reservations, i.e., the barriers on highways in Serbia, are coated with chili paste. As further explained, this is allegedly done to prevent nighttime traffic accidents caused by wild animals. At the time of our analysis, the post by Fact 27 about Serbian highways had gathered more than 1,000 reactions, several hundred comments, and had been shared 125 times. However, our editorial office received an official response from the public enterprise “Putevi Srbije” (Roads of Serbia) stating that “Serbian highways are not coated with chili paste.”
A more detailed review of the Facebook page where this false news was published revealed that other information shared there is also questionable in authenticity – such as claims that Belgium is turning parking lots into solar-powered laundries where washing machines operate using sunlight, or that old fountains in Austria have been fitted with warm water nozzles and hooks for towels. These claims are accompanied by images generated by artificial intelligence.
The story about allegedly coating highway barriers in Serbia with chili paste spread from Facebook to the portal Red. In its article, this media outlet further specified that the chili coating on Serbian highways is applied by the public enterprise Putevi Srbije. “The strong smell and irritating nature of capsaicin, the active substance in chili, act as a natural repellent, keeping animals away from dangerous sections of the road,” the article claims, while citing unnamed “experts” without providing their names or fields of expertise. We found no evidence in available sources indicating that such a practice has ever been used in Serbia, and we received a denial from the public enterprise responsible for road maintenance:
“In order to properly inform the public, we hereby notify you that JP Putevi Srbije does not use ‘chili paste’ to prevent wild boars from entering highways. Serbian highways are not coated with ‘chili paste’! To prevent animals from entering the roadway, protective wire fencing has been installed along highways in the Republic of Serbia.”
The article on the Red portal also states that “according to traffic police data, the number of accidents caused by animals on certain sections has already decreased.” According to this year’s police reports, by the end of September, more than 520 traffic accidents involving an animal had been recorded (though it is not specified whether the animal was domestic or wild). In the previous year, 640 such incidents were recorded, and around 650 the year before.
