MONITORING ROADKILL IN AMRAVATI, INDIA: A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT

Roadkill is a global conservation problem, and India is no exception. Animal-vehicle accidents on roads are a leading cause of death for a variety of animal species both within and near protected areas. However, documentation of roadkills remains sparse due to field constraints and the absence of dedicated IT platforms. The lack of documentation and unavailability of traffic fatality data pose major limitations for government agencies and conservationists. In 2018, as part of a citizen science program to collect opportunistic data, we launched a free “ArRM” mobile app and website, www.arrm.org.in. In 2022, we conducted a systematic random survey of 10,500 km covering the entire road network in Amravati district, Maharashtra, India. Through citizen science initiatives and our concerted efforts, we documented 364 roadkills, comprising 336 wild species and 28 domestic species, representing a diverse array of 70 species. Our project aims to overcome the non-documentation of roadkills in the Amravati district and provide data on an interactive map that is freely accessible in the public domain. This will help wildlife authorities, conservationists, and policymakers plan or implement effective measures to reduce the number of wildlife killed on roads.