Belize Roadkill Project
Shared Roads, Shared Responsibility: Help Protect Belize’s Wildlife
Project Summary
Belize’s expanding road network plays a critical role in national development, but it also presents growing risks to the country’s wildlife. Vehicle collisions are an increasingly common cause of mortality for wild animals, particularly for wide-ranging and threatened species like the jaguar (Panthera onca). By April, there were reports of 5 jaguar road mortalities within 2025, and has drawn national attention to the urgent need for action. These tragedy highlight the vulnerability of wildlife crossing roads in fragmented landscapes and underscored the importance of public awareness and data collection.
The Belize Roadkill Project, launched by the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB-ERI), is a citizen science initiative designed to document and map roadkill incidents across the country. Hosted on the iNaturalist platform, the project invites Belizeans and visitors alike to contribute photographs and locations of roadkill sightings. These community-sourced data will help identify roadkill hotspots, assess which species are most at risk, and support evidence-based solutions for road safety and wildlife conservation.
Public participation is central to the project’s success. By bringing together local knowledge, science, and technology, UB-ERI aims to build a growing network of concerned individuals committed to reducing roadkill and creating safer shared spaces for both people and wildlife. The project is also an opportunity to raise awareness around road ecology and support national conservation goals for threatened species such as jaguars, tapirs, and ocelots.
Project Aims and Objectives
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Document wildlife-vehicle collisions through citizen-submitted data on iNaturalist
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Identify roadkill hotspots and species most at risk
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Raise awareness about the impact of roads on wildlife and promote safer driving behavior
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Support conservation planning for landscape connectivity and wildlife crossings
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Engage the public in wildlife monitoring and citizen science in Belize
How You Can Get Involved
The Belize Roadkill Project relies on community participation to build a better understanding of how roads affect our wildlife. Anyone, whether you’re a Belizean resident, student, road user, or visitor, can contribute to this national effort.
Here’s how to take part:
🦎 Snap a Photo
If you come across a roadkill incident, take a clear photo of the animal and, if safe to do so, note the location.
📍 Record the Location
Use your phone’s GPS or mark the location as accurately as possible, this helps us identify roadkill hotspots. If using your phone to take the picture it should have a georeference for the picture.
📲 Upload to iNaturalist
Join the Belize Roadkill Project on iNaturalist and upload your observation. Be sure to include the date, location, and species (if known). Don’t worry, we’ll help with species ID if needed.
💬 Spread the Word
Tell others about the project and encourage them to join. The more people involved, the more powerful the data becomes.
🛣️ Stay Safe
Never put yourself at risk. Avoid stopping in dangerous areas, only take photos from a safe position. Your safety is priority.
By joining the Belize Roadkill Project, you're helping to inform smarter road planning, improve wildlife conservation strategies, and make Belize’s roads safer for all who use them—both human and animal.
UB-ERI Project Team
Emma Sanchez
Dr Jake Snaddon