Wildlife

Wildlife bridges over highways make animals safer

Roaring traffic doesn’t stop big mammals like moose and bears from crossing highways—nor does it keep myriad smaller creatures from being squished by car tires. In just two years along one stretch of highway in Utah, 98 deer, three moose, two elk, multiple raccoons, and a cougar were killed in car collisions—a total of 106 animals. In the United States, there are 21 threatened and endangered species whose very survival is threatened by road mortalities, including Key deer in Florida, bighorn sheep in California, and red-bellied turtles in Alabama.

There’s one solution, however, that’s been remarkably effective around the world in decreasing collisions between cars and animals crossing the road: wildlife under- and overpasses. One can get reductions of 85 to 95 percent with crossings and fencing that guide animals under or over highways.

Wildlife Officers Rescue Birds Stuffed in Tiny Cages in India

Despite massive conservation efforts, the illegal wildlife trade continues around the world, putting endangered species at risk and threatening millions of vulnerable animals. In India, the trade of pet birds is a big issue. Thus, this makes the recent news of 550 protected Indian birds being rescued from an illegal pet market in Kolkata even more harrowing.