SATURDAY, Dec. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Highway underpasses for
animals make roadways safer for wildlife and cars, a new study
finds.
Researchers looked at a new route planned for U.S. Highway 64
that cut through a forested and agricultural area in Washington
County, N.C. The new road included three underpasses with fencing
that ran alongside the road near each underpass to funnel animals
into the underpasses.
The study is published in the current issue of the
Journal of Wildlife Management.
The researchers used cameras and animal track surveys to monitor
wildlife activity. During the 13 months after the road was
completed, the cameras took 2,433 photos of various animals using
the underpasses, including deer, bears, raccoons and domestic dogs
and cats.
When the researchers compared data from nearby sections of
Highway 64, they found that wildlife deaths were 58 percent lower
on the new part of the highway.
The findings suggest that the wildlife underpasses are a
cost-effective way to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, said the
researchers.
More information
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has more about
critter crossings.