Wildlife

Wildlife Roadkill: Scale and Mitigation

Road networks fragment habitat and kill billions of animals annually, with simple infrastructure changes dramatically reducing mortality.

Key Facts

An estimated 1 million vertebrates are killed on European roads every day
Hedgehogs have declined 50% in UK countryside, with roads a major factor
Wildlife passages under or over roads increase connectivity and reduce mortality
Badgers in tunneled areas show 80% lower road mortality than unmitigated sites

Welfare Considerations

Road deaths are not instantaneous for many animals. Injured animals may survive for hours with severe trauma. Beyond direct mortality, roads isolate populations, reduce genetic diversity, and prevent seasonal migration that animals require for survival.

What You Can Do

Slow down when driving near wildlife hotspots at dawn and dusk
Support funding for wildlife underpasses and overpasses on major roads
Advocate for wildlife mortality surveys to prioritize mitigation funding
Report roadkill to citizen science projects that map mortality hotspots