Populations have had to learn to better coexist with wildlife as infrastructure and transportation expand to connect communities.
In Indonesia, the Resilient Equatorial Forests Foundation (TaHuKah) is addressing habitat fragmentation by building canopy bridges over roads for orangutans.
New roads have been essential for people living in the Pakpak Bharat district, allowing them greater access to schools and medical facilities. However, they've significantly impacted the dwindling primate population nearby.
"We must safeguard the movement of wildlife," TaHuKah's executive director Erwin Alamsyah Siregar told Mongabay. He explained the initiative was a collaboration between the organization and the local government.
Currently, TaHuKah has installed five canopy bridges along the Lagan-Pagindar road, which took three to four days to complete. Authorities also intend to add traffic signs to encourage drivers to slow down in wildlife hot spots.
While camera traps haven't caught orangutans crossing the bridges just yet, black Sumatran langurs, long-tailed macaques, and black giant squirrels have taken advantage of the design.
Wildlife crossings on major roadways protect animals and drivers from serious collisions, some of which may be fatal. This will become even more essential as seven in 10 people move to cities by 2050 — with urban sprawl comes more roads impinging on natural habitats.
These conservation efforts have already had great success elsewhere. Since Parks Canada began installing vegetated wildlife crossings over roadways in Banff National Park, animal-vehicle collisions have decreased by 80%, while deer and elk accidents are down by 96%.
The United States is also investing $110 million in 19 wildlife crossing projects to prevent hundreds of deaths and save $10 billion in medical and property damage costs from wildlife crashes.
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State transportation departments may want to utilize a mobile application designed by Oregon wildlife officials, allowing them to identify hot spots for animal crossings. This will enable them to implement projects where they are most critical.
Oregon Zoo conservation manager Shervin Hess said the app "gives Oregonians a chance to be a part of the solution and help make our state safer" for everyone.
As for the wildlife crossings in Pakpak Bharat, TaHuKah's Alamsyah Siregar said, "These bridges allow us to support isolated wildlife populations without compromising progress."
The Sumatran Orangutan Society's CEO Helen Buckland also said protecting the orangutans helps them "thrive long into the future, fulfilling their vital role as 'gardeners of the forest' and keeping this precious rainforest ecosystem flourishing."
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