Topline:
In an interview with environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, we talk about the myriad ways roads affect wild animals, and whether the nearly $100 million wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway sets a difficult precedent.
Why it matters: Roads and highways have brought some animals — including the mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains — to the brink of extinction by cutting off vital habitat and migration routes, among other problems.
Why now: Road ecologists have helped communities and public officials realize the extent of the damage, and how we might fix it. One example is the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing under construction in Los Angeles.
The backstory: The first wildlife crossings date back to the 1950s in Europe, Goldfarb told us, where hunters wanted deer to be able to move across the landscape. Today, the late P-22, the mountain lion that became famous when he took up residence in Griffith Park — and who's the subject of episode 1 of our latest series Imperfect Paradise: “Lions, Coyotes, & Bears” — is helping inspire ambitious projects to undo some of the damage we've done to wildlife with our prolific road-building.
Go deeper: Listen to the interview with Goldfarb in Ep. 5 of "Lions, Coyotes, & Bears."
