animal crossing

Look: 8 animals will flourish thanks to the largest wildlife corridor in the world

The project will break ground on Earth Day.

by Jennifer Walter
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

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Animals and highways don’t mix.

Roads make dangerous crossings and also isolate wild species from the habitats and resources they need to survive.

A deer as one of the 8 animals that will flourish thanks to the largest wildlife corridor in the world

But wildlife corridors allow animals to safely traverse the road.

In Utah, for example, more than 50 structures cross over and under roads to help tortoises, deer, and other creatures cross unharmed.

Utah DNR

Lili Media & Design Lab

On Earth Day (April 22), California will break ground on the world’s largest wildlife bridge known as the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.

It will span 10 lanes over Route 101 in Agoura Hills, just north of Los Angeles.

National Wildlife Federation and Living Habitats

Miguel Ordeñana

Most notably, the bridge will connect the isolated habitats of specially protected cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains.

National Wildlife Federation and Living Habitats

But the Wallis-Annenberg crossing will help more than just mountain lions — it will be a lifeline for an entire ecosystem.

National Wildlife Federation

Here are 8 more animals that will benefit from the world’s largest wildlife crossing:

8. Bobcats

Smaller than mountain lions, these cats also live in fragmented habitats around LA and need a lot of space to hunt.

Chase Dekker Wild-Life Images/Moment/Getty Images
7. Coyotes

Other large predators like coyotes, which have been seen in larger numbers around LA in recent years, will also benefit from connected habitats.

Doug Michaels / EyeEm/EyeEm/Getty Images
6. Rabbits

Prey, too, will find a way across the bridge. Not to mention that native plants will grow on the crossing which herbivores can eat and use for shelter.

Jose A. Bernat Bacete/Moment Open/Getty Images
5. Lizards

Smaller creatures like the Western fence lizard will be able to scurry their way to the other side of the land bridge.

Photography by Alexandra Rudge/Moment/Getty Images
4. Snakes

Imagine how uncomfortable it would be to cross a 10-lane highway in the middle of summer by slithering on your stomach. The crossing will offer a refuge for many species of snakes.

Shutterstock
3. Deer

Say goodbye to deer in the headlights — the corridor could help these starstruck creatures avoid deadly accidents on Highway 101.

Photography by Alexandra Rudge/Moment/Getty Images
2. Birds

Though birds can easily fly from one place to another, the crossing will provide food and nesting opportunities for native species such as the Wrentit, which lives in California year-round.

Larry Selman / MostlyBirds.com/Moment Open/Getty Images
1. Ants

Even the smallest of creatures will benefit from the bridge, which in turn will strengthen the entire ecosystem.

Muhamad Iqbal Fajrul Falak / EyeEm/EyeEm/Getty Images

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