California Roadkill Database

In order to track animals killed by vehicles, California is encouraging volunteers to record instances of roadkill. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that one million animals are killed daily by vehicles, and the California Roadkill Observation System has set out to determine where and why this happens. Built by researchers from the University of California-Davis, this database collects information submitted by the public that details the GPS coordinates, photographs, and the species of animals found killed on the road. The goal of the project, which has been taking place for approximately one year, is to discover “hotspots” of roadkill—including information of where migration routes could possibly be, and to find ways to better alleviate the detriments of driving on wild animals. The researchers are currently working on a smartphone app to make the program more accessible and easy-to-use.