[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/animal-bridges\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/animal-bridges\/","headline":"Animal Bridges??","name":"Animal Bridges??","description":"You may think the above image looks like a snapshot of a strange bridge taken straight out of the SimCity...","datePublished":"2015-06-15","dateModified":"2018-10-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Washington-Land-Bridge-e1434395335665.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Washington-Land-Bridge-e1434395335665.jpg","height":492,"width":1019},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/animal-bridges\/","about":["News"],"wordCount":1813,"keywords":["News"],"articleBody":"You may think the above image looks like a snapshot of a strange bridge taken straight out of the SimCity game, but this is real life in the state of Washington.\u00a0 What is it, you ask? It\u2019s exactly what it looks like\u2026a bridge for wildlife of all kinds to use to safely cross the road.\u00a0 In fact, there are many of these already in place throughout the world today as you\u2019ll see below.The image pictured above is an artistic rendering of a bridge over I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.\u00a0 The Department of Transportation broke ground on the project June of 2015.\u00a0 This overpass is part of a 15 mile stretch spanning along I-90 that is set to become one of the safest travel zones for wildlife and humans alike.You can get the full story on the project here.In Colorado, The Highway 9 Wildlife Crossing Project (pictured above)\u00a0was designed to improve driver safety while allowing for wildlife movement across the road.\u00a0You can get the full story on the project here.This project includes:two wildlife overpasses,five wildlife underpasses,nine pedestrian walk-throughs,62 wildlife escape ramps,29 wildlife guards, all of which are connected by an eight foot high wildlife fence.\u00a0While the images and thoughtfulness are intriguing, I have my own doubts as a biologist.\u00a0 First off, let me state that I\u2019m all for helping wildlife safely utilize their entire range, and anything we can do in this man-made world to benefit wildlife is a good thing if the appropriate actions are considered.\u00a0 I first heard about these safe wildlife passages in a college biology class and pretty much have the same thoughts now as I did as a freshman bio student: Cool, but are they worth it?First and foremost, citizens must be willing to cover the costs, which aren\u2019t cheap.\u00a0 This single bridge is expected to cost $6.2 million and scheduled to open in 2019.\u00a0 I chuckle every time I hear \u201cscheduled to open\u201d, as if the animals will know when they can safely cross the interstate aboard the habitat bridge.\u00a0 Maybe they\u2019ll post a sign for them to read \u201cOVERPASS TO OPEN THIS MONDAY\u201d.\u00a0 Alright, enough sarcasm for now, that price is nothing to joke about.Secondly, do they work?\u00a0 I guess it depends upon what you classify as working.\u00a0 Does working mean one animal crosses it per day? Two animals?\u00a0 A herd?\u00a0 Big animals like deer and elk?\u00a0 Or small animals like frogs and spiders?\u00a0 Also, how many need to safely cross to deem it cost effective?\u00a0 One area that I would completely agree with placing these bridges on is along known migration routes that cross busy roads.\u00a0 There\u2019s no doubt that animals do use them, as evident from trail cameras placed on currently operating wildlife bridges (check out the video below).Thirdly, as a hunter, one thing jumps out to me immediately\u2026they create the ultimate bottleneck or funnel.\u00a0 Let\u2019s just say I know where I would be hunting if one of these were on my land or public hunting ground!\u00a0 However, there\u2019s probably about 1,000 other hunters that would be thinking the same thing, but can you imagine sitting near such a funnel during the rut!\u00a0 Enough daydreaming . . . if we hunters are thinking about this ambush location, you can guarantee other predators are as well.\u00a0 If I\u2019m not mistaken, I remember reading a scientific paper in college illustrating the effects these animal bridges had on predation, and I don\u2019t recall a good outcome for species like deer and other ungulates. \u00a0Think about it, these deer are basically walking into a cougars waiting claws.\u00a0 With that comes learned behavior.\u00a0 Eventually the deer and other animals will not cross these because they fear their life, which leads me to the next point.These animal bridges function with the aid of some fencing.\u00a0 Basically, fencing stretches a certain distance from both ends of the bridge to create a barrier that deer cannot cross.\u00a0 This in essence, creates the bottleneck, it\u2019s just like hunting a gap or open gate in a fence . . . the animal runs into this obstruction and then follows it until they can get through (the bridge).\u00a0 Now, let\u2019s revisit the last point, predators have caused the prey to stay away from these crossings, and there is a giant fence. \u00a0Now these animals are basically locked to their side of the interstate instead of crossing wherever they could.\u00a0 Some may argue that crossing the interstate may be more dangerous than the predator guarded bridges, but only time and science will tell.\u00a0 Also, it\u2019s tough to factor in the true effectiveness if prey animals abandon the land bridges and are unable to seek out mates and resources on the other side.\u00a0 Genetic diversity comes into play, as do habitat resources, and home ranges.Related:\u00a0Awesome Deer Mounts [PICS]Home ranges is an entirely different topic of discussion, but will undoubtedly be effected.\u00a0 Without diving completely into this sub-topic, let me leave you with this thought about home ranges.\u00a0 An average white-tailed deer has a home range of right around 1 square mile (640 acres) and a mule deer\u2019s is slightly more.\u00a0 Now, if you\u2019re not familiar with how home ranges for animals work, they are like a buried electrical fence for dogs, in the sense that deer rarely, if ever, leave them.\u00a0 So, depending upon the length of the extending fences and location of the actual bridge, only a certain percentage of wildlife will actually use them because they fall within their home range.\u00a0 These fences which span long distances, may now prevent travel across the interstate for animals who don\u2019t have a bridge within their home range.\u00a0 Seems a bit counterintuitive, don\u2019t you think?\u00a0 Not only this, but large predators like bears, cougars, and wolves have significantly larger home ranges, meaning their hunting grounds are much bigger and potentially allow them to cover multiple animal bridges.Anyways, upon all my points, I still remain undecided on these structures.\u00a0 On one hand as a hunter and conservationist, I want to love them.\u00a0\u00a0 On the other side as a pessimist, I\u2019m not sure they are worth it \u2013 for wildlife or humans.\u00a0 Nonetheless, they are impressive structures and look quite odd from the sky, so I encourage you to take a look at some of these animal bridges below.1. A wildlife bridge spans a busy interstate in the Netherlands.2. Pictured below is an animal bridge in Banff National Park, Alberta.3. Another view of an animal overpass in Banff, Alberta, Canada.4. An animal overpass in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.5. Another artistic rendering of a different overpass near Keechelus Lake, Washington. \u00a06. Animal overpass on Novelty Hill Road in King County, Washington.7. Another animal overpass in the Netherlands.8. Animal overpass over a busy interstate.9. Google Earth aerial image of an animal overpass in Thurgua, Switzerland.10. An animal overpass in Germany.11. A large habitat bridge spanning over a busy interstate to help animals cross safely.\u00a012. An animal overpass on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana."},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/animal-bridges\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Animal Bridges??"}}]}]