Wildlife crossings are physical structures that help animals safely navigate human-made barriers like highways. Crossings have been shown to both reduce animal vehicle crashes and relink territories that different species call home. A wildlife overpass in a megacity like Los Angeles had never been done before. Politicians were skeptical, not just about the utility of an urban wildlife crossing, but its price tag. This would be the biggest and most expensive crossing in the world, spanning ten lanes of highway.
Wildlife and urban development don’t usually go well together. Roads in particular fracture the habitats of wide-ranging animals. It restricts their movements and makes it harder for them to find food or a mate. But biologists and urban planners have started working together –- crafting a plan to try to help pumas move more safely around the city. And in the process this one cat, dubbed P-22, has turned into something of a celebrity—the symbol of a movement to redesign our cities and make the built environment more friendly to animals.
Cougar Town