Deer and Elk Research Might Lead To More Effective Crossing Infrastructure for All Species

Humans have erected wildlife bridges in high-traffic locations in recent years to reduce road accidents and provide animals with access to larger habitats for breeding and supplies.

According to a new study, elk and deer may be hesitant of utilizing these crossings under certain conditions.

The findings imply that a greater study into species-specific reactions to crossings might help improve their effectiveness.

Why do some animals fear using wildlife crossings?

(Photo : Donnie Rosie/Unsplash)

The recent arrest and euthanasia of Los Angeles' well-known mountain lion P-22, whose severe injuries were most likely caused by being hit by a car, has brought to light the importance of safe wildlife crossings in cities and other high-traffic locations, as per ScienceDaily.

Wildlife bridges and tunnels not only protect animals from automobile crashes, but they also serve to minimize inbreeding among tiny and fragile populations that have been walled in by motorways and other human development by linking them to a larger pool of prospective mates.

According to the study's authors, this sort of research might help guide the development of crossings throughout Los Angeles County and throughout the United States, which now has just around a thousand of these structures.

Only by studying how animals perceive and react to cues in their surroundings that might either attract or repel them can we get the essential knowledge to design efficient wildlife crossings, according to co-author Daniel Blumstein, a UCLA professor of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Importantly, various species will behave differently, and other external environmental signals may alter how a particular species act.

Corresponding author Eric Abelson, a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA's La Kretz Center for Conservation Science who worked with Blumstein on the study, noted that while previous research has shown that the passage of many vehicles affects animals, the current study is the first to observe animals' roadside behavior in real-time, both before and after vehicles passed.

Abelson and Blumstein collaborated with UCLA undergraduate student Mehdi Nojoumi to review nearly 600 animal-activated videos collected by Montana State University road ecologist Anthony Clevenger that showed elk and white-tailed deer near a Trans-Canada Highway wildlife undercrossing near Banff National Park in Alberta.

Nojoumi observed the animals' behavior before and after vehicles passed and counted the vehicles.

The films indicated that elk and deer on the roadside near the tunnel frequently switched from searching for food to running or being cautious after vehicles passed; animals that showed fear or vigilance were far less likely to use the crossing.

They were more likely to use the crossing if they remained grazing as cars passed, which some did.

Surprisingly, the animals reacted more intensely when cars passed occasionally rather than continuously.

The study confirms that animals react dynamically to human activity, which might impact whether or not they use wildlife bridges.

Abelson noted that certain animals, such as raccoons, may be so habituated to human activity that they do not react negatively at all, but others may be considerably warier.

He emphasized that behaviors varied between species and that more study can help expose these species-specific patterns.

Read more: Animal Crossing: World's Largest Wildlife Bridge to be Built near Los Angeles, California

Why Wildlife Crossing Is So Important?

Wildlife crossings are critical for both animals and humans.

Although it is hard to know how many animals are hit and killed by automobiles on the road, research in the United States predicts that between 1 million and 2 million animals are hit and killed on American roads each year, as per Skeedaddle Wildlife.

While Canada is less populous, we are seeing an increase in big animal collisions, which result in injuries and fatalities for both animals and, in some cases, humans.

When a car and a huge wild animal collide, people suffer as well. Every year, animal-related automobile accidents cause countless injuries and fatalities among passengers. Furthermore, collisions are expensive.

Aside from preventing big animal crashes, wildlife crossings are critical for the protection of innumerable tiny creatures, some of whom drivers may not realize they have struck.

According to research on the wildlife bridges in Banff, these bridges are exceptionally successful in averting catastrophic animal-car incidents.

These sorts of interventions can aid in the preservation of animal populations, particularly those that are on the verge of extinction.

Wildlife crossings are tunnels and bridges constructed around roads and large traffic zones for the use of animals.

They offer a secure passage over or beneath highways. Underpasses allow wildlife that is afraid of bridges to safely cross the road.

Smaller animals regularly utilize these bridges to avoid the hazards of the road above.

Though there are several variants and well-thought-out designs, all wildlife bridges have certain characteristics.

First, the crossings are planted with natural plants.

They are intended to blend in with the surroundings, allowing for a smooth transition from one side of the road to the other.

Second, they are often fairly broad, allowing animals plenty of freedom to traverse even while other creatures are crossing at the same time.

Related article: Wildlife Overpass in Utah Created for Animals to Cross Over a Busy Interstate