Oregon Maps Wildlife Roadkill Hot Spots

A zoo-state partnership is using volunteer photos to identify where animals are most often struck by vehicles across Oregon.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Wildlife

Empty two-lane road curving through misty Douglas fir forest on the Oregon coast, with wet asphalt and mossy roadside ferns under overcast light. — Oregon volunteers have logged more than 5,600 roadkill photos since 2024, helping the Oregon Zoo and state wildlife managers map where animals are most often struck by vehicles. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Oregon spend more on wildlife crossings to reduce roadkill?

The Oregon Zoo and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife partnered on the Roadkills of Oregon project to map wildlife roadkill hot spots. Volunteers have logged more than 5,600 roadkill photos across the state since the project started in 2024.

Why it matters

Oregon leads the West Coast in wildlife-versus-vehicle crashes, and mapping where they cluster can help target safety measures. The volunteer-driven data gives wildlife managers a record of which species are most affected.

The project's data comes from volunteer photo submissions, with more than 5,600 roadkill images collected across Oregon since 2024. The source does not provide a baseline for how this compares to prior years.

The players

Oregon Zoo

A Portland-area zoo that runs conservation and wildlife education programs in the state.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

The state agency responsible for managing Oregon's fish and wildlife resources and habitats.

The details

Volunteers submit photos of roadkill sightings to the Roadkills of Oregon project, which uses the images to identify hot spots and affected species. The partnership pairs the Oregon Zoo with state wildlife managers at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

2024: The Roadkills of Oregon project began collecting volunteer submissions.

Culture Shift

Volunteer-driven wildlife monitoring like the Roadkills of Oregon project reflects a growing reliance on community science to track animal impacts from roads. The project's photo-based approach turns everyday drivers and residents into data collectors for state wildlife managers.

Drivers across Oregon can help by reporting roadkill sightings to the project, contributing to the photo data that shows where collisions happen. Residents in high-collision areas may encounter more wildlife on roads, making attentive driving especially important.

The takeaway

Community-submitted photos can reveal patterns in wildlife collisions that help guide where roads and habitats need attention. Drivers can support that work by staying alert in known wildlife corridors and reporting what they see.