PORTLAND, OR -- Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife is partnering with the Oregon Zoo to collect roadkill data from around the state and create a map of incidents.

The Oregon Zoo is typically more concerned about living animals, but Conservation Manager Shervin Hess says they have a big interest in reducing the number of roadkills in the state, "Some of the animals that are at our zoo came to us as rescues after they were hit by cars." Hess adds, "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."

Officials ask the public to help track roadkill, where they’re seen and what animals are involved. "Oregon has the highest rate of vehicle wildlife collisions on the whole west coast, so it’s deadly for both people and wildlife," says Hess.

They want to know about every species, from butterflies to bears, "You do see a lot of squirrels. Butterflies? You’re not likely seeing those when you’re driving; but a cyclist might. That’s why we’re trying to get the word out to everybody." And, he notes, "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 in the iNaturalist mobile app. "There’s a project on there called Roadkills of Oregon," says Hess, "When you see an animal that has been hit, you see a roadkill, and it’s safe to pull over and take a picture, you do that. You upload it to this network and that data goes directly to ODF&W." 

The goal is to identify where, when and how animals are most commonly hit by vehicles and map those hotspots. "Crossings and underpasses work. They’re super effective. But they’re also expensive. So, we need to know where these things are happening, in order to prioritize where to put those sort of crossing structures."