First Wildlife Bridges Approved in New Mexico
Edited by Yujin Tchun
A finished bridge in Washington State (Photo from OPB)
For the first time in the state’s history, a set of highway overpasses explicitly designed for the use of wild animals has been approved and funded by the New Mexico government. These bridges will benefit cougars, black bears, big-horn sheep, and various other animals that live in the forests and deserts of New Mexico.
The creation of these bridges will help to address the problem of critical habitats being fractured by long, unbroken roads, affecting some of the protected species in the state including white-nosed coati and Gila monsters. An added benefit of this infrastructure is the reduction of property damage to cars and injuries to people from collisions with animals which can sometimes be fatal for people in cars.
This project is just one small part of the progress being made across the US and all over the globe to design real solutions that allow wildlife and humans to coexist while reducing the impact that each group has on the other. These projects, whether they are National Parks in North America or crab bridges on the Christmas Islands (These are 100% real and certainly worth a Google), really do make a difference and as time goes on a real effort is being made by scientists and government figures to continue to find the best possible ways to protect our important wildlife.
In addition to the construction of these bridges, New Mexico has also set aside a further 100 million US dollars to fund other environmental projects across the state, including river conservations and access to outdoor exploration for low-income families.
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