The world’s largest wildlife crossing—the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Los Angeles—will officially open to four-legged traffic on Dec. 2, but that hasn’t stopped some curious coyotes from checking it out early.
The overpass spans the 10 lanes of U.S. Highway 101 in Liberty Canyon, a roadway that has long fragmented animal populations in the Santa Monica Mountains, according to the project website. With the construction of the wildlife crossing, animals will now have a safe passage through an area that once served as a nearly impenetrable barrier.
Of the several animal species native to the area, the crossing can serve as a lifeline to the endangered mountain lion population, which has been suffering from the effects of inbreeding, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times.
With the land bridge in place, mountain lions will have the opportunity to diversify their populations by seeking mates in the Simi Hills and beyond.
Coyotes Explore Crossing Ahead of Opening
Despite its Dec. 2 opening, two large animals have already been spotting checking out the new space. The first of two coyotes appeared on trail cameras early in the morning on Oct. 28.
At the time, the coyote was unable to make a complete passage over the unfinished land bridge because the soil had not been built up enough to connect the two structures—one spanning the highway and another crossing an adjacent road. The structures are connected by a graded slope, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The sighting prompted crews to begin adding soil to fully connect the structures, potentially allowing larger animals to make a complete crossing.
Smaller animals, including the western fence lizard, were spotted on the crossing before the first coyote sighting.
