Uttarakhand's Built a Bridge to make Road Crossings Safer for Animals

Travellers in Uttarakhand are delighted to stop below a unique bridge erected on a highway leading to the popular hill destination Nainital.&nbspMade out of bamboo, jute, and grass, the &lsquoeco-bridge&rsquo hangs over the Kaladhungi-Nainital highway in the Ramnagar forest division. 

But this is not just any bridge. It is a special path created by the state forest department for reptiles and other small animals to safely pass from one side of the road to the other.

Roadkill is one of the biggest problems faced by Indian wildlife, especially in areas where highways or railroads pass through forests. Although there are rules such as banning night driving on highways passing through forests or trains asked to blow horns, accidents do happen. Many wildlife experts have been suggesting underpasses in critical areas for large animals such as tigers and elephants.

Forest officials of Uttarakhand, according to media reports, have pointed out that while large animals are still visible to drivers, smaller animals such as monitors, snakes, etc. are difficult to spot. Hence, they have built this bridge across the highway so that the smaller animals have a safe passage. Four camera traps have also been attached to the bridge. The officials are now hoping that animals will soon accept the bridge and use it too. 

The Indian Forest Service Association also tweeted their congratulations to Chandra Shekhar Joshi, DFO, Ramnagar Forest Division, for implementing this method.