See the First Animals Cross LA’s New Wildlife Bridge

California wildlife may soon cross the 101 freeway more safely using the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. This article explains how the vegetated overpass connects animal habitat and how the public can follow wildlife activity through trail cameras.

Officials are set to unveil the completed Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a large, vegetated overpass designed to help animals cross traffic and move between areas divided by the freeway. The project is described as the world’s largest wildlife crossing.

What does the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing connect?

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing connects the Santa Monica Mountains to the Simi Hills across 10 lanes of traffic and an access road. The project has been in development for 10 years as part of a nationwide scientific monitoring program involving the National Wildlife Federation, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority and the National Park Service.

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a habitat link across a major freeway barrier.

A public-private partnership funded the crossing through a combination of government funding and philanthropic donations.

The crossing is intended to benefit local wildlife populations affected by vehicle collisions and habitat isolation. Expected users include:

• Mammals: mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats and deer.
• Other wildlife: various bird, lizard and snake species.

The overpass is designed to let animals cross the freeway and reach more land for roaming and mating. By connecting habitat on both sides, the crossing may also help address the geographic and genetic isolation caused by the freeway.

Habitat connection: The overpass links separated wildlife areas across the freeway.

How can you view the Wallis Annenberg crossing trail cameras?

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is being monitored by wildlife cameras in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. At the planned opening on Dec. 2, the monitoring system is expected to include 50 cameras and four thermal video cameras.

The camera system will document wildlife activity at the crossing.

Project leads told the Los Angeles Times that the public will be able to view the cameras’ photo stream. Live video feeds will be available only to researchers for security reasons.

The cameras have already recorded a coyote approaching the unfinished path at night, when darkness and the absence of blinding headlights shielded it.

Early wildlife activity: A coyote was the first recorded visitor described in the report.

The sighting surprised scientists working on the project, who had expected a smaller animal to attempt the crossing first.

Mountain lion possibility: Beth Pratt of the Wildlife Crossing Fund told the Los Angeles Times, “I wouldn’t have said this even a couple weeks ago, but I now think there’s a chance we’ll have a mountain lion use it before ribbon cutting. Word gets out in the animal world, so who knows what’s going to happen?”

Opinion: The coyote sighting offers an encouraging early glimpse of wildlife approaching the crossing, although it does not establish how frequently animals will use the completed route.

What should you know about the crossing cameras?

The crossing’s cameras are intended to track animal visits, and the public is expected to have access to the photo stream. Researchers will retain access to live video feeds for security reasons.

Camera access: The planned setup includes 50 cameras and four thermal video cameras.

• Public viewing: The photo stream will be available to the public.
• Research viewing: Live video feeds will be limited to researchers for security reasons.
• Recorded activity: A coyote was seen approaching the unfinished crossing at night.

The camera setup distinguishes between public photographs and researcher-only live video, so public access does not include the live feeds.

What did we say? Millennial optimism is really back.