For the very first time considering that a wildlife underpass was completed in Santa Cruz County, California, wildlife electronic cameras caught video footage of a puma crossing safely beneath Highway 17.
According to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, while many pumas have been captured on camera in the surrounding location, this recent video is the very first recorded usage of the wildlife underpass by a mountain lion. This is special, due to the fact that the tunnel was constructed in large part to secure these huge felines, which are understood by several names, consisting of pumas, cougars, and mountain lions.
NBC News reported that the Laurel Curve Wildlife Crossing Job, which started in spring 2022 and wrapped up early in 2023, cost around $12 million. The goal, according to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, was to link arrive on both sides of Highway 17 within the Santa Cruz Mountain Range. In doing so, the underpass has actually currently assisted to secure both wildlife and human beings.
NBC reported that over the previous ten years, more than 20 pumas and 95 deer have actually been struck and eliminated near Laurel Curve on Highway 17. After the underpass opened– in reality, within an hour of wildlife electronic cameras being installed in the tunnel– a bobcat was taped going through.
Besides bobcats and the recently found puma, the Land Trust states cams have likewise captured video footage of deer, gray foxes, and skunks utilizing the tunnel to securely cross beneath the highway.
A wildlife study spanning almost a years preceded the opening of the Laurel Curve underpass, which assisted officials figure out the best placement for the tunnel. A company called Pathways for Wildlife offered essential data from path cams about the wildlife in the area, as well as the animals’ movement patterns.
This first puma crossing adds to the underpass’s victory as a key wildlife corridor in the area, safeguarding both vehicle drivers and animals– and preserving their capability to co-exist.
Wildlife video cameras caught video footage of a puma crossing safely beneath Highway 17 in Santa Cruz County, California for the very first time.