Wildlife Welfare

Wild Otter Road Mortality Reduction

Strategies to reduce road mortality in otters, a growing threat to recovering UK populations.

Key Facts

Otter populations have recovered strongly since the 1970s ban on organochlorine pesticides
Road mortality is now the primary human-caused otter mortality factor, with thousands killed annually
Culverts under roads are used by otters but only when correctly sited and designed with dry ledges
Otter screens and fencing guiding animals to underpasses significantly reduce road mortality

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality represents acute welfare harm for otters and risks undermining decades of successful population recovery. Targeted infrastructure interventions - underpasses with appropriate design features - are among the most cost-effective wildlife welfare investments available.

What You Can Do

Report otter road casualties to national wildlife recording schemes
Advocate for otter surveys and mitigation in all road building and major renovation projects
Support organisations mapping otter road mortality hotspots for targeted intervention