Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, also sometimes referred to as the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing, is a significant environmental and engineering project located in Agoura Hills, California, near Los Angeles. The project aims to build the world’s largest wildlife crossing, and it’s designed to provide a safe passage for animals, including mountain lions, bobcats, deer, and other wildlife, over the busy U.S. Highway 101.
Interesting Facts about Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing:
The crossing is designed to combat habitat fragmentation, enabling wildlife to move freely between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, thus promoting genetic diversity among populations.
It’s set to be the largest wildlife crossing in the world once completed, spanning 200 feet above 10 lanes of the highway.
The project involves complex engineering and environmental science to create a structure that blends with the surrounding landscape and adequately supports varied ecosystems.
The project was notably supported by the Annenberg Foundation, with a substantial donation that propelled the project forward. It was after this contribution that the crossing was named the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.
The crossing is expected to significantly impact the survival of various species, particularly mountain lions, which have faced severe genetic decline and inbreeding due to being isolated by busy highways.
It aims to ensure safe passage for animals, reducing the risk of vehicle collisions, which are dangerous both for wildlife and humans.