Oregon Zoo and ODFW Partner on Roadkill Project

Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with the Oregon Zoo to collect roadkill data around the state.

Oregon Zoo's Conservation Manager Shervin Hess says, "It’s sad. It’s gross. Nobody wants to see roadkill, right? It’s not the way we want to see wildlife. And this is a rare opportunity to actually do something about it."

The Oregon Zoo is typically more concerned about living animals, but Hess tells me they have a big interest in reducing the number of roadkills in the state. Said Hess, "Oregon has the highest rate of vehicle wildlife collisions on the whole west coast, so it’s deadly for both people and wildlife."

ODFW and the zoo are asking the public to report roadkill, to track locations, time of year, and species. And Hess says they really want to know about every species, noting "The spot that’s hard for a squirrel to cross the road is also really hard for a bear to cross."

To participate, create a free account on iNaturalist, join the project called “Roadkills of Oregon," and when you spot roadkill, safely pull over, take a photo, and upload it to the app.

The information will be used to map hotspots and help the state prioritize future action. There are already more than 1500 reports in the system.