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High Traffic, High Impact: Preliminary Data on Roadkill Rates from Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda.
Summary
Researchers tracked roads through a Ugandan national park for a month and found that traffic kills about two wild animals every day, with paved roads being deadlier than dirt ones, and current speed bumps aren't cutting it. The study also found nearly 190 pounds of plastic waste piled up along the paved road, a reminder that busy roads cutting through protected wildlife areas don't just harm animals directly, they also bring pollution that can break down into microplastics and work its way into soil, water, and the food chain that eventually reaches us.
Wildlife mortality by animal-vehicle-collisions in Uganda's protected areas is poorly understood. We present baseline roadkill data from Murchison Falls National Park collected over 32 consecutive days, 10 December 2024-10 January 2025, along an 86 km tarmac road and a 56 km murram (unpaved) road.Over 18 176 km of road were surveyed, we recorded 53 roadkill events (0.003 roadkill/km), comprising 31 species of vertebrates. Mortality was higher on tarmac (0.004 roadkill/km) than murram roads. Mammals and reptiles exhibited the highest mortality (0.002 roadkill/km each). Kernel density analysis identified 8 distinct high-risk and 14 medium-risk roadkill hotspots along the surveyed route. The total length of road classified as high risk was 19.08 km. Speed bumps were the primary mitigation measure. Plastic pollution was also concentrated on the tarmac road (84.25 kg).Traffic diversion through the park contributed to high roadkill rate (approximately two animals killed per day) and plastic waste pollution. Current mitigation measures appear inadequate to reduce wildlife mortality. This study highlights the impact of traffic on protected areas and provides a critical baseline for future monitoring.