A Study on the Occurrence of Racoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) Roadkill Using the Korea Roadkill Observation System

Since industrialization, the pressure for development has increasingly intensified conflicts between wildlife and humans. Concerns have grown regarding the transmission of diseases by wildlife as carriers of zoonotic diseases, human casualties and economic losses due to roadkill incidents, and the decline in biodiversity. This study aims to provide fundamental data for resolving conflicts between raccoons and humans by analyzing the annual and monthly trends of raccoon roadkill incidents approved in the Korea Roadkill Observation System from 2019 to 2023. Over five years, 11,328 raccoon roadkill cases were approved, showing a rising trend in raccoon roadkill incidents each year. Monthly data revealed that October had the highest number of incidents, with 2,316 cases, and roadkill occurrences were found to be significantly higher during autumn and early winter. These findings are expected to serve as fundamental data for addressing future conflicts between raccoons and humans.