Wildlife charity calls for volunteers to help record mammal sightings

The Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling on volunteers across Britain to record sightings of mammals, dead or alive, as part of its annual Mammals on Roads survey.

The charity is asking commuters, families, and anyone else using Britain’s roads, to record sightings of mammals and submit the records via the free app, Mammals on Roads.

More related content: 

British deer guide: how to identify different species of deer 

Where to see and how to help hedgehogs

Back from the brink: otters thriving in Hampshire river 

The data collected on the app, available on Apple and Android smartphones, will help conservationists view changing population trends and identify what species are in most danger.

It will also inform where the new mammal road signs, soon to be launched by the Department for Transport in an attempt to lessen the number of collisions involving animals, should be placed.

“Though no-one likes seeing roadkill, recording such sightings every year tells us how wild mammals are faring in the surrounding landscape,” said Mammal Surveys Coordinator, David Wembridge.

“Thanks to the many volunteers who’ve submitted records over the last two decades we found out that hedgehog numbers are plummeting. Now, we’re doing everything we can to help this species, but we wouldn’t have known they were in trouble without volunteers helping us.”

The Mammals on Roads app includes audio descriptions and illustrations of each mammal, so passengers can identify what species they pass on their journeys; whether they’re common hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, and deer, or lesser-seen stoats and otters.

David added: “Taking part in Mammals on Roads can really make a huge difference and helps ongoing conservation efforts. It will build a countrywide picture of how mammal numbers are changing.”

To find out more about volunteering, visit: People’s Trust for Endangered Species.