14 replies to this topic

[FamilyTreeClimber]

Ode Magazine posted a photo on their Facebook page that showed a wildlife bridge, but they didn't give the location.  Basically, it is a plant covered bridge for animals that goes over our own highways.  This is so they can have a way to pass from one side to the other without getting run over.

I can't find Ode Magazine's shot, but I found this proposal which shows how they would be used:

http://www.fastcodes...oadkill-problem

I saw this one at treehugger.com that was built in Ontario, Canada:



I am fascinated by this idea.  I'm always saddened when a deer or other wild animal gets on the road.  You know it isn't going to end well in most cases.  To factor in a way for them to get by safely is so cool!

Do you have these where you live?  I have never seen one in California, but that doesn't mean they don't exist here.  I think it would be beneficial since we have many main highways that cut through wildlife regions.  In the SF Bay Area, human and animal habitat intermingle in many places.   There are places these bridges would save lives.

[dconklin]

I have never seen one in NJ for wildlife, we have a lot of bridges that we can walk across on the side tho.  I like the idea of having a wildlife bridge, but not sure about in my town.  It would probably be destroyed by the people here If I find one I will definitely let you know, I will now be Googling!

[MyDigitalpoint]

Living in a big capital city like this, the idea of seeing around a wildlife bridge is very remote, even beyond the metro area, where this kind of bridges would be really helpful since is the beginning of the highways and wildlife areas.

I truly like the idea and will like to see that is taken seriously by governments or communities pushing to preserve the life of animals that sometimes are not even native to the places they die.

I heard in the news about a baby elephant that went too far from a circus traveling to another city but stopping in the middle of the road. The poor baby was thirsty and crossed the highway seeking for water in the other side. A bus hit the animal, which died after the injuries received :(

[zararina]

As far as I know, there is nothing like that on here.
I agree that it was a good idea so that wild animals will avoid crossing roads that might cause accidents both for the animals and people. It will be great to see such kind of bridge personally.

[Sandra Piddock]

Judging from the number of squashed hares I'm seeing on our local roads, it's pretty clear there aren't any around here. I've never actually heard of this before. I Googled it, and France were the first country to introduce them in the 1950s. Sometimes they're bridges over the road, and sometimes they elevate the road, making an underpass for the animals.

In Europe, only France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands have them. There would be a problem in the UK because of available land, but Spain has plenty of open spaces. Unfortunately, they're not big on environmental issues and animal welfare.

[dconklin]

I was Googling about this and found this website: http://www.wildlifea...guide/2_1_6.cfm
Looking at this site, we have many wildlife underpasses here in NJ.  I have seen these on many interstates here (the underpass.)  Not that many animals get hit on our interstates, but on the local state roads we see them get hit more often.  So I would say this concept works pretty good.

[E3 wise]

South Florida and especially the everglades have seen increases in car related killings of Florida panthers, Key Deer and black bears rise over the past decades.  To combat this Florida has along Alligator Alley (I-75) and several other roads installed animal under passes, which seem to be preferred by the animals due to their ability to stay out of site.  Is it working, well here is an example of a Florida Panther making use of the new animal corridors.

Attached Files

•  Panther.JPG   40.32K   0 downloads

[ACSAPA]

I love the idea of a wildlife bridge and they're beautiful to look at because of the vegetation. But here in Miami where a lot of homeless people live under bridges, I can imagine them sleeping on the wildlife bridge and littering it with garbage, so it probably wouldn't work here.

[FamilyTreeClimber]

dConklin, I noticed from the link you posted that there is a wildlife underpass in Chino, California.  Also, I saw that in 2007, they were working on bringing these bridges to Southern California.
http://www.nctimes.c...977730b8c2.html

I've seen structures like the Chino underpass in the Bay Area.  I never really thought of what they were for.  I always thought they were some sort of flood control mechanism since we have so many small rivers and streams near populated areas that flood in heavy rain years.  I never thought that they might be for animal traffic.  It makes me wonder.

Curious, that's why the bridges are a better idea in some areas than the underpasses.  Under the bridge is the road.  I think ongoing traffic would discourage the homeless or anyone else from taken refuge under these bridges.

We need the bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area. Almost every day, the traffic news on the radio will report a deer that has wandered onto the freeway.  They really have no chance around cars.

[dconklin]

FamilyTreeClimber, on 22 July 2012 - 07:23 PM, said:

dConklin, I noticed from the link you posted that there is a wildlife underpass in Chino, California.  Also, I saw that in 2007, they were working on bringing these bridges to Southern California.
http://www.nctimes.c...977730b8c2.html

I've seen structures like the Chino underpass in the Bay Area.  I never really thought of what they were for.  I always thought they were some sort of flood control mechanism since we have so many small rivers and streams near populated areas that flood in heavy rain years.  I never thought that they might be for animal traffic.  It makes me wonder.

Curious, that's why the bridges are a better idea in some areas than the underpasses.  Under the bridge is the road.  I think ongoing traffic would discourage the homeless or anyone else from taken refuge under these bridges.

We need the bridges in the San Francisco Bay Area. Almost every day, the traffic news on the radio will report a deer that has wandered onto the freeway.  They really have no chance around cars.

We have these underpasses all over on the major highways here in NJ.  I didn't know what they were for either, I always thought it was because there was a dip in the land and they did it to prevent hills on the highways.  We don't hear of many animals getting hit on our highways tho it does happen.  But we do have animals getting hit on our state roads and local roads.  Only our major highways have these underpasses.  I would have to say they are effective!

[Pat]

We do not have anything like that in our area.  It would help to keep the animals off the road.   One morning I looked out my front window and saw a family of deer walking down our street.  Our street is not in the country or in the woods. It has been developed for more than 40 years.  These deer were large.

If we had a bridge the deer could have used it stay out of sight.

[godarna]

There are no wildlife bridges in Mauritius, although they can use some here and there.
I checked in my native country Holland. There is a vague rememberance of a crossing path uder the motorway.
See what I found: http://www.wolfstad....he-netherlands/.
I knew my folks are great!

[E3 wise]

Nice posting, just goes to show a good idea works in any country where people care enough to make a differance.
Thanks for sharing the good news.

[FamilyTreeClimber]

dConklin, isn't it funny how you can see something almost all your life and never really know it's purpose?  I bet the ones I saw were to keep animals off the main road.

The Smithsonian magazine has pictures of three different animal bridges in different parts of the world.  There is a photo of one being constructed, too.
http://blogs.smithso...animal-bridges/

[dconklin]

FamilyTreeClimber, on 23 July 2012 - 06:43 PM, said:

dConklin, isn't it funny how you can see something almost all your life and never really know it's purpose?  I bet the ones I saw were to keep animals off the main road.

The Smithsonian magazine has pictures of three different animal bridges in different parts of the world.  There is a photo of one being constructed, too.
http://blogs.smithso...animal-bridges/

That is cool! It is nice that people are designing these for the animals.  It does show they care more then I thought they did by spending this money, time and planning for the animals.  Great topic you started here
It is funny that I have seen these for my whole life and had no idea that they were for wildlife.  I have more respect (at least a little bit) for the engineers that designed our highways here now!