Wildlife

Roadkill and Road Mortality: A Global Wildlife Welfare Crisis

Vehicle strikes kill billions of animals annually across all continents, representing one of the largest preventable sources of wildlife suffering.

Key Facts

An estimated 1 billion vertebrate animals are killed on US roads annually
Road mortality is a leading cause of death for many large mammal species
Animals that survive strikes often die slowly from internal injuries over hours or days
Wildlife crossing infrastructure reduces roadkill by 70-95% in studied locations
Badgers, hedgehogs, owls, and deer are among the highest-impact species in Europe

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality causes acute trauma and prolonged suffering for billions of animals. Injured animals that crawl away from roads frequently die slowly from internal bleeding, dehydration, or predation. The welfare dimension of this issue receives far less attention than the conservation dimension. Surviving family members of social species experience loss and disruption of social structures.

What You Can Do

Drive within speed limits especially at dawn, dusk, and night
Report roadkill to the iNaturalist Roadkill Observer app to build data
Advocate for wildlife crossing infrastructure on high-mortality road sections
Support Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust and road ecology research
Volunteer with local wildlife rehabilitation centers that treat road-injured animals