Staycationers are being asked to record any sightings of roadkill they come across on their travels using a free app.
The Mammals on Roads app is part of wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ (PTES) annual survey.
The data collected will help conservationists to identify population trends, and importantly, which mammal species are most in need of help and where conservation action is needed.
Mammal Surveys Coordinator at PTES David Wembridge said: “Nobody likes seeing roadkill, but counting casualties can help conservation. Many of our native mammals are declining in number. We need all the help we can get to find out which species are at risk and try to turn their fate around.”
The app is free and easy to use with colourful illustrations of each mammal. It also has audio descriptions to help guide anyone who might have seen a tricky-to-identify mammal such as a stoat or weasel.
Mammals on Roads has been running since 2001 and, along with other long-running surveys led by PTES, its data has helped identify the decline in native hedgehogs.
The charity also asks that if you are on social media, you help PTES spread the word by using #MammalsOnRoads.
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