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Q: How did the coyote cross the road?

A: By using its very own bridge, of course!

Welcome to the weird, wonderful (and very important) world of wildlife crossings

A coyote walking

Shutterstock.com

In California, workers have just started building a very special bridge. This bridge will stretch 200 feet over a busy highway. It will cost $90 million to build. It will be the biggest bridge of its kind

    But cars and trucks won’t drive on it. You won’t be able to bike across it either. In fact, the plan is to cover it with fresh soil, grass, and plants

    So what is this fancy bridge for

    Animals

Crossing to Survive

A bridge with tiny red crabs climbing up it's side

KIRSTY FAULKNER/MERCURY PRESS/Caters News

    Bridges like the one being built in California are called wildlife crossings. These special paths help animals cross busy roads

    In Washington State, squirrels run across the 60-foot-long Nutty Narrows Bridge. In Vermont, tiny tunnels keep frogs safe from traffic. In Australia, red crabs use an overpass made just for them

    Why do these creatures need their own crossings? Until recently, most of the world’s land was grass and dirt. Animals could safely migrate, or travel, as seasons changed. This made it easier to find food.

    But in the past 100 years, cars have changed the way we live. The U.S. alone has added more than 2.6 million miles of paved roads. These roads cut through animals’ habitats, or homes

    Creatures that don’t try to cross through traffic could starve. Those that do try might not make it to the other side. In the U.S., up to 2 million large animals are hit by cars and trucks every year. In some of these accidents, humans are killed and injured too.

A bridge with grass on top of it but a highway underneath it

Jorg Greuel/Getty Images

Safer Streets

    Today, there are nearly 1,000 wildlife crossings in the U.S. Some animal experts say that’s not enough. Why aren’t there more? These crossings cost a lot of money to build. Even a small tunnel can cost $250,000.

    Last year, Congress passed a new law. It includes $350 million to build wildlife crossings. This is the most our government has ever promised to spend on animal-friendly paths

    When built, these bridges and tunnels will save countless bobcats, alligators, and other creatures. And who knows? They might even save your life too

Cars stopping as a large moose crosses the road

Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Watch out!
An elk crosses a busy road. Up to 2 million large animals are hit by cars every year.

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Weird But True

Higher Level: How Did the Coyote Cross the Road?

Read or print a 800L-900L version of this article in magazine view.

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Weird But True

Lower Level: How Did the Coyote Cross the Road?

Read or print a 500L-600L version of this article in magazine view.

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