FIGURES released by Highways England show the huge numbers of animals killed on the A64 each year.

Badgers, deer and foxes were among more than a 100 dead wild animals collected off the road between 2014 and 2017.

Domestic dogs and cats - run over or occasionally left in bags at the roadside - are also recorded, as are some gamebirds.

The figures are recorded by Highways England, which has responsibility for motorways and major A-roads in the country. It collects up dead animals which have been reported to it and logs them in its system.

Smaller casualties such as hedgehogs, rabbits, hares and most bird species are unrepresented in the figures.

In one instance, a dead swan was recorded. In others, the records show that the animals were “unidentifiable”. Several reports log more than one carcass.

Highways England said that it records animal deaths reported on its network to see what mitigation measures it can put in place in future projects. For example, it says an otter fence has been installed alongside the A64 as part of the Barton Hill junction improvement work.

A spokesman for Highways England said: “We care about the safety of everyone who uses our roads, including animals.

“We always take steps to try and prevent animals getting onto our roads. As a result, the proportion of incidents involving animals on our roads is extremely low, considering that millions of drivers which use our roads each year.

“When incidents are reported to us we attend to recover the animal usually within 24 hours.

“If it is a wild animal these have to be disposed of for health and hygiene reasons.

“Domestic animals are recovered and checked to see if they are microchipped and the owner contacted.”

The numbers of dead animals - specifically mammals - on the whole Ryedale road network are also the subject of a new "citizen science" survey project by a wildlife charity.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is asking the public to record sightings of mammals - dead or alive - while driving along Ryedale’s roads this summer.

The charity said its Mammals on Roads survey will help to spot changing trends in mammal populations, and identify where conservation action is needed most.

This year, the survey runs from now until Sunday, September 30. Participants in this citizen science project can take part either online or via an app on a smartphone or tablet.

David Wembridge, surveys officer at PTES, said: “What we really need are good records of mammals. Better estimates of numbers will help us understand our wildlife and the ‘natural health’ of the nation.

“The survey, of course, should only be done by passengers in the car - drivers should always have their full attention on the road and other vehicles.”

According to a recent report by the Mammal Society, compiled with PTES’s help, one in five wild mammal species in Britain is at risk of extinction.

Further information about reporting dead animals to Highways England can be found at gov.uk/report-dead-animal.

For more information on the PTES Mammals on Roads survey, go to ptes.org/mor.