... Because humans built it a bridge. Wildlife crossings throughout the world are saving lives, from tortoises to elk, and koalas to crabs. Plus, a bat celebration.
P-22 was a loss. But the crossover bridge in Agoura goes over the 101 freeway and now there have been sightings of mountain lions in Malibu Creek State Park as well as bears . In 2016 one young mountain lion duo kill a tend goat shepherd’s dog. The lion still roams. I believe there is another transit bridge that crosses the 215 freeway in Riverside County. That bridge was built earlier perhaps 2015? Your contribution to environmental protection journalism is very much appreciated. Glad to see crabs using a migration bridge.
Thank you, Richard. I was happy to discover the crabs as well!
I can only hope that with room to roam, cougars can find more of their natural prey. We have mountain lions up here in Northern California and they generally stay away from people and neighborhoods. There's enough wild turkey and deer for them in the wilderness.
I really like the proposed design for the Los Angeles crossing. It looks so much more natural and easier for wildlife, and it makes the highway look less... freeway-ey. Although maybe that'll just be from the side.
I couldn’t be happier about the growing movement to build wildlife crossings. Many years ago I said if I won the lottery I’d put it to wildlife crossings. So happy that people’s commitment is growing! Thanks for spotlighting this hopeful trend.
Thanks for the positive and inspiring story. Plus, wow, a bridge for red crabs! That photo is amazing; it makes my day. And, there's a wildlife crossing over Interstate 90, just east of Snoqualmie Pass, that is helping save the lives of many many animals.
Amanda, so many wonderful stories and fantastic photos. The description of the bats rising and the photo of the migrating frogs were so informative and amazing. I really enjoyed this read, thank you.
This story made me tear up. I don’t think there is anything better on this planet than those wildlife crossings. Growing up in Texas we always had accidents and bodies on the side of the road. The first time I saw a crossing here in Washington, I cried. When I found out you could go watch the videos of them crossing, I would just go watch them for hours. So cool.
P-22 was a loss. But the crossover bridge in Agoura goes over the 101 freeway and now there have been sightings of mountain lions in Malibu Creek State Park as well as bears . In 2016 one young mountain lion duo kill a tend goat shepherd’s dog. The lion still roams. I believe there is another transit bridge that crosses the 215 freeway in Riverside County. That bridge was built earlier perhaps 2015? Your contribution to environmental protection journalism is very much appreciated. Glad to see crabs using a migration bridge.
Thank you, Richard. I was happy to discover the crabs as well!
I can only hope that with room to roam, cougars can find more of their natural prey. We have mountain lions up here in Northern California and they generally stay away from people and neighborhoods. There's enough wild turkey and deer for them in the wilderness.
I really like the proposed design for the Los Angeles crossing. It looks so much more natural and easier for wildlife, and it makes the highway look less... freeway-ey. Although maybe that'll just be from the side.
Yes, multiply that by hundreds or thousands in the future, and our landscapes may look completely different, no? Neat to imagine.
I couldn’t be happier about the growing movement to build wildlife crossings. Many years ago I said if I won the lottery I’d put it to wildlife crossings. So happy that people’s commitment is growing! Thanks for spotlighting this hopeful trend.
I've had similar lottery-winning thoughts! If only all billionaires were conservationists ...
Those bridges are so valuable, it's particularly great to see the red crabs using them so effectively.
I love the story about the frogs that you linked to
Thanks, Juliet. I believe I will be able to expand on this yellow-legged frog story soon. Stay tuned!
Thanks for the positive and inspiring story. Plus, wow, a bridge for red crabs! That photo is amazing; it makes my day. And, there's a wildlife crossing over Interstate 90, just east of Snoqualmie Pass, that is helping save the lives of many many animals.
So glad to hear this. I almost added Washington's culverts for salmon to this story, but decided to save it for its own post.
Have you read Ben Goldfarb’s book Crossings? It’s all about this. He also wrote a great book about beavers (Eager).
I have heard of Crossings, but haven't read it yet. Loved reading "Eager"! I'm a believer! : )
Amanda, so many wonderful stories and fantastic photos. The description of the bats rising and the photo of the migrating frogs were so informative and amazing. I really enjoyed this read, thank you.
Thank you, Leslie!
The story of P22 is a great example of how wildlife can live in the shadow of humans. The least we could do was build that bridge.
This story made me tear up. I don’t think there is anything better on this planet than those wildlife crossings. Growing up in Texas we always had accidents and bodies on the side of the road. The first time I saw a crossing here in Washington, I cried. When I found out you could go watch the videos of them crossing, I would just go watch them for hours. So cool.
And if you need a laugh, this has always been my favorite animal crossing short clip ever: https://youtu.be/_kAUHDybFRg?si=dofdJv3cOOC8ss0J
That video is totally hilarious. I do love to watch wildlife crossing videos or trail cameras. They are very entertaining 🦃