In the mountainous state of Uttarakhand in India, a bridge was built across a busy road that cuts through the forest. Not for humans or cars, but rather for reptiles and other small animals.
The new “Eco Bridge” is 90 feet long and made from bamboo, jute, and grass. Local officials say it’s the first of its kind and will hopefully prevent animals from being run over by speeding cars.
“This is a dense forest, and elephants, leopards, deer, and bulls move in this area. Drivers can see them from some distance and slow down or stop, but they rarely do so for snakes, lizards, monitors, or squirrels,” said a forest official.
To make the bridge more attractive to animals, officials are growing creepers and grass near the entrances of the bridge. It has yet to attract animals since it’s brand new, but officials are hopeful that will help protect animals in the future while helping create awareness around smaller animals and reptiles in the area.
This isn’t the first time we’ve written about wildlife bridges in recent months. In October 2020, we shared a story out of Java where a network of bridges between trees was set up to help expand the habitat of the slow loris (primate). A bit later, we also wrote about rope bridges in China’s Hainan island that are helping endangered Hainan gibbons travel across the forest.
