Wildlife roadkill in the Tsavo Ecosystem, Kenya: identifying hotspots, potential drivers, and affected species
Fredrick Lala, Patrick I. Chiyo, Erustus Kanga, Patrick Omondi, Shadrack Ngene, William J. Severud, Aaron W. Morris, Joseph K. Bump
Abstract
). Reptiles were represented by 11 species which were identified to the species level. Roadkill hotspots were identified using a kernel density method. The spatial distribution of roadkill was associated with adjacent shrub vegetation and proximity to permanent and seasonal rivers, and differences in seasonality and habitats were observed. Roadkill was lowest on road sections that traversed settled areas as opposed to roads adjacent to the protected areas. The results demonstrate that roadkill for two of the taxonomic groups - mammals and birds - appear high with numerous species detected in the Tsavo Conservation Area. These results can be used to focus efforts to reduce wildlife mortality by guiding future mitigation efforts.