Utah Department of Wildlife Resources and Utah Department of Transportation publish data obtained after the release of the Utah Roadkill Reporter app, locations and dates not specified.Photo courtesy of DWR, St. George News
ST. George — One year after launching the Utah Roadkill Reporter app, the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Department of Transportation have learned several important things about wildlife movement from the data submitted.
The Utah Roadkill Reporter app will be released in December 2022 to allow people to easily report the location and description of dead animals they see on or near roadways, and to help remove these animals from highways and freeways. Now it can be removed more quickly. This data also provides biologists with important information about wildlife movements.
“This app helps keep Utah’s roadways safe by helping us more quickly remove carcasses that could pose a traffic hazard,” said Matt Howard, UDOT’s Natural Resources Manager. said in a release issued by DWR. “Additionally, the data collected from the app will help determine where wildlife fencing and crosswalks may be installed to protect people and wildlife.”
In the first year of the app’s release, a total of 3,843 animals were reported using the app. Approximately 98% of the animals reported killed by vehicles were mule deer, totaling 3,611. However, it is estimated that only about half of deer-vehicle collisions are reported, and DWR biologists believe that approximately 10,000 deer are actually hit by vehicles each year in Utah. It is presumed that he died.
Other wildlife species reported through the app that have been hit and killed by vehicles in Utah over the past year include:
- American badger: 1 animal
- Bighorn sheep: 2
- Asian black bears: 2
- Magpie: 1 bird
- Bobcat: 1
- Canyon tree frog: 1
- Cougar: 8
- Coyote: 5
- Moose: 157
- Northern raccoon dog: 17 animals
- Porcupine: 1
- Pronghorn: 22
- Red fox: 3
- Snowshoe hare: 1
- Türkiye: 3
“Through this data, we are learning about new locations where animals are being hit by vehicles,” Blair Stringham, DWR Utah Wildlife Relocation Initiative Coordinator, said in a news release. “We are also collecting information on species that we didn’t have before, especially small animals like badgers. We are using this data to identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots on our roads. It is specified.
“The more data we collect, the more we can understand when and where animals cross roads, and the more we can implement projects based on local needs. Wildlife fencing, underpasses. , overpasses, signage, and more will come from this important data.”
When someone files a traffic accident report through the app, they can also upload a photo of the animal, including the type of animal and its GPS location. However, don’t use the app while driving or get out of your car on a busy highway.
The new Utah Roadkill Reporter app is available for free on both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Learn more about the app here.