How to avoid running over animals whilst cycling on a canal at night? I commute on a towpath in Hertfordshire, England and there is ample amount of wildlife about. 

During the day it's fine, I can see ducks, squirrels and rabbits in time and slow down if I need to. 

However at night it seems to be a problem as I occasionally have close calls with particularly what I believe are squirrels and rabbits trying to cross the towpath as I'm approaching. 

I believe they see me rather too late sometimes and despite my front lights and intermittent signalling with the bell I've not been able to mitigate that. It goes without saying that I see them especially late. Particularly problematic are blind sports just before a turn. It doesn't help that often there are no other light sources apart from my lights.

Has anyone run into a similar problem and has any tips?
My commute brings me through a park with a lot of rabbits (or similar animals, not a zoologist here) and it has been rather close a few times ...

I use a head lamp when driving there at night for two reasons:


It allows me to see through turns much better
The eyes of animals reflect directly back at you, which helps to see them a little earlier


All that does not help when they jump out of the shrubs directly in front of you. It doesn't happen a lot, but I have seen dead rabbits on the path a few times. (No dead cyclists yet)