In the days of Lewis and Clark, millions of pronghorn populated the West. Today, the population hovers around 700,000, with more than 50 percent found in Wyoming. Conservation biologist and engineers came together to find a solution to prevent further decline of pronghorn numbers during long distance migration. They identified sections of highway where pronghorns most often cross during their annual trek between the Upper Green River Basin and Grand Teton National Park through GPS collaring of 400 individuals. Then they constructed wildlife overpasses containing features like sagebrush that mimic features of the pronghorn’s natural migration trail. The bridges’ sides are lined with bushes so that the visually oriented animals do not fall off the edge or get distracted by traffic rushing below. They lined the side of the highway with an eight-foot-high woven wire fence to funnel the animals into two newly constructed safe passage points. The researchers are collecting their first year of data from the newly opened overpasses, and they have already documented successful pronghorn crossings.
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