How to Contribute

Download Roadkills India

Roadkills India is available for free on the Google Play Store. The app works on any Android phone running Android 7.0 or newer. We are working on an iOS version for a future release.

Get it on Google Play →

Spot a roadkill (safely!)

As you travel on highways, expressways, rural roads, railway lines, or canals, you will likely encounter wildlife mortality. The most commonly reported species include:

🐍 Snakes — especially after rain or at night
🐸 Frogs and toads — common during monsoon
🦡 Mongooses, civets & small mammals — often early morning
🦉 Birds — owls and kingfishers especially
🐆 Larger mammals — leopards, deer, antelope, even elephants

⚠ Safety first — every single time

✔ Pull over completely off the road, with hazard lights on
✖ Do NOT stop on expressways where stopping is illegal or unsafe
✔ Watch for traffic before stepping out — speed is hard to judge
✖ Do NOT touch the carcass — risk of disease and legal violations
✔ If it feels unsafe, skip it — your life matters more than any single data point

Document and submit

Once you're safely positioned, opening the app and submitting a report takes under 60 seconds. The app guides you through:

📷 Photograph the animal — 1 to 3 photos, taken from a safe distance
📍 Record the location — GPS is automatic, you don't have to type anything
🔍 Identify the species — Pick Bird, Mammal, Reptile, Frog, or Other; species name is optional
📝 Note context — Optionally add notes about road type, time of day, surroundings
✅ Submit — Saved offline if no network; uploads automatically when you reconnect

What happens next

After you submit

Your contribution joins a growing database. LRCF's research team reviews each report for completeness, then anonymises and aggregates it for sharing with researchers, government bodies, and the public. Your photos remain part of the scientific record.

You retain ownership of your contributions and can withdraw your data at any time by contacting our Grievance Officer.

Quality guide

Tips for great reports

A few habits that make your contributions more useful to researchers.

One animal, one reportDon't combine multiple animals into one submission — each gets its own entry.

Sharp photos countWipe your camera lens, hold steady. Avoid extreme close-ups.

Capture identifying featuresA snake's head, an animal's underside, a bird's wing. Context helps identification.

Note the road contextBarriers, signage, unusual road features — add them in the description field.

Skip if unsure of taxonIf you can't identify even the broad group, pick 'Other' and add a description.