Canopy Bridges Help Protect Amazon Wildlife From Roadkill in Brazil
Project Reconecta has installed artificial canopy bridges in Alta Floresta and other regions of Brazil to help arboreal animals cross busy highways safely. Data indicates thousands of safe crossings and zero roadkill incidents in monitored areas, prompting plans for nationwide expansion and a pending wildlife road safety bill in the Brazilian congress.
Key points
- Eight canopy bridges installed in Alta Floresta enabled 15,000 safe crossings by arboreal animals over 15 months with zero roadkill recorded.
- Brazil's national department of transport infrastructure designated the bridge design as a recommended standard for highways.
- A national road safety bill for wildlife is currently awaiting a vote in the Brazilian senate after passing the chamber of deputies.
What happened
Project Reconecta, founded by researcher Fernanda Abra, has been implementing artificial canopy bridges to connect fragmented forest patches and prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions on Brazilian highways. Following the installation of eight bridges in Alta Floresta, camera trap monitoring recorded 15,000 safe crossings by various arboreal species over a fifteen-month period without any recorded roadkills.
Context
Brazil combines the world's greatest diversity of primates with the fourth largest road network, leading to high mortality rates for terrestrial and arboreal vertebrates. Studies indicate that millions of mammals are killed on Brazilian roads annually, contributing to habitat fragmentation, isolation, and genetic inbreeding. To combat this, Project Reconecta previously installed 32 bridges over highway BR-174 in collaboration with the Waimiri-Atroari Indigenous people, and federal transport authorities designated the bridge design as a highway standard.
