Vehicles kill an estimated 44,000 mule deer and 780 mountain lions on California roads each year, according to a new UC Davis report that identified hundreds of wildlife collision hotspots across the state, including a stretch of Highway 50 in El Dorado County.
The 2026 California Roadkill Hotspots Report, released Tuesday by the university’s Road Ecology Center, found that wildlife collisions remained a persistent problem despite growing investments in crossings designed to help animals move safely across highways.
Researchers argued that California needs more roadside fencing to prevent animals from entering traffic, particularly where existing bridges and culverts could provide safe passage beneath highways…