Why Did The Bear Cross The Road? Project Aims To Create Safe Crossings For Wildlife
This bear tripped a wildlife camera in Wolcott near the Lamoille River. The cameras show that bear and moose are in the area, but so far do not appear to be using a nearby bridge to move under the highway. Credit: The Nature Conservancy
Conservation biologists say that the good news for wildlife is there are still extensive tracts of forest habitat in the northeast. Yet as humans have built up roads and housing developments, crossing between key habitat areas — such as from the Adirondacks to the Green Mountains — can be a dangerous trip for a moose or a bear.
To tackle this regional challenge, New England and eastern Canadian states have banded together to preserve what they have identified as nine key critical pathways between large forest habitats.
Part of the Staying Connected Initiative involves studying just how animals cross roads and other human developments, to see how to best preserve linkages between forest habitats.