Road Infrastructure and Primate Conservation: Introducing the Global Primate Roadkill Database

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Transportation Ecology

Background:

• Global expansion of road infrastructure leads to habitat fragmentation.
• Habitat fragmentation increases the frequency of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC).
• Primates are particularly vulnerable to WVC as their habitats are increasingly fragmented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the Global Primate Roadkill Database (GPRD), the most extensive standardized collection of primate roadkill incidents.
• To document primate roadkill data from diverse sources, including scientific literature, citizen science, and media reports.
• To present the current status and collection methodology of the GPRD.

Main Methods:

• Compiled primate roadkill data from published papers, unpublished reports, citizen science databases, anecdotal accounts, news, and social media.
• Recorded species, precise location, and date (year and month) for each roadkill incident.
• Standardized data collection to create a comprehensive and usable database.

Main Results:

• The GPRD currently contains 2862 individual primate roadkill records.
• Data spans 41 countries, highlighting the global nature of the issue.
• Acknowledges potential underrepresentation of data from certain regions.

Conclusions:

• The GPRD is a valuable resource for understanding the impact of roads on primates.
• Further contributions from conservationists and citizen scientists are crucial for expanding the database.
• Enhanced data will aid in identifying high-risk areas and developing mitigation strategies for primate conservation.