Mule deer already using incomplete $20m wildlife bridge in California
Summary
A new $20 million wildlife bridge in Siskiyou County, California, designed to help animals cross a busy highway safely, is already being used by mule deer even though it is not fully finished. The bridge aims to reduce accidents involving animals and cars, protecting both drivers and wildlife.Key Facts
- The wildlife bridge crosses Route 97 and is California’s first over-crossing for animals on a major highway.
- Cameras captured three mule deer using the bridge before the project was fully completed.
- The bridge is finished, but fencing needed to guide animals to the crossing is still being installed.
- Fencing is important because it helps prevent animals from crossing roads and getting hit by cars.
- Nearly 50,000 mule deer are killed every year by vehicles in California, about 10% of the state’s deer population.
- Between 2015 and 2020, 50 deer and 16 elk died near this bridge location due to vehicle crashes.
- More wildlife crossings will open soon, including the Wallis Annenberg crossing in southern California, which will be the world’s largest.
- The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) funded and built the bridge to improve road safety and protect animals.
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