about Roadkill

Working together to increase knowledge, protection and understanding Roads play a vital role in shaping our daily lives, both in Austria and worldwide. They connect places, enable mobility, and facilitate the transportation of goods, medical aid, and social interaction. At the same time, roads occupy a significant portion of our landscape and are therefore also part of the habitat of numerous animal species. However, while we humans see roads as paths and connections, many animals see them as something completely different: some use them as migration corridors, while others see them as insurmountable barriers. Vertebrates in particular are at a disadvantage when roads become impassable due to heavy traffic, crash barriers or fences. Some animals avoid roads altogether, while others cross them regardless of traffic. The result is that thousands of animals die on Austria's roads every year. Why does roadkill affect us all? Official figures are only available for huntable game, such as deer, wild boar and badgers. But what about all the others? What about hedgehogs, toads, squirrels, snakes and birds? Currently, there is a lack of data on these species, even though they are just as often, if not more often, killed on the roads. This is…

Although the Roadkill project is coordinated at BOKU University, we consider all contributors to be part of our project team. Our citizen scientists are at the forefront of this, as without their data reports, discussions about recorded animal species and suggestions for improving the apps, website and method itself, the project would not be possible. Some of our citizen scientists are also featured on our blog.   Florian Heigl Project Coordinator Senior Scientist at the Institute of Zoology, BOKU University, Vienna. Education: Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences; Master's degree in Agricultural Biology; Doctorate in Soil Science. Role: Florian coordinates the project and is responsible for writing all scientific articles and texts for the project website and Instagram channel.  Daniel Dörler Project Staff Member   Senior Scientist at the Institute of Zoology, BOKU University, Vienna   Education: Master's degree in Biology, specialising in Zoology, and Doctorate in Natural Resources and Life Sciences   Role: Daniel assists with all aspects of the project, including data analysis and report writing.