{"id":40683,"date":"2021-08-05T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T07:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/?p=40683"},"modified":"2025-12-12T00:16:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T23:16:00","slug":"impact-on-the-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/en\/2021\/08\/impact-on-the-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Badger crossings and bee hotels: infrastructures that reduce their impact on the environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first months of 2021, a group of American scientists were keeping an eye on some curious video recordings. They showed a jaguar\u00a0<\/span>returning again and again<\/span><\/b>\u00a0to a ranch located in Sonora, a few kilometers south of where Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico converge.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A jaguar going so far north is uncommon. It has been more than half a century since the last specimen in the state of Arizona was killed by hunters, and to this day, this animal only lives\u00a0<\/span>in Latin American countries<\/span><\/a>. This is why\u00a0<\/span>the presence of El Bonito<\/span><\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0as\u00a0this jaguar has been named – is seen as an opportunity to restore the species in the United States.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the jaguars\u2019\u00a0path north\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0up against\u00a0a few barriers<\/span><\/a>. One of them is the 1,128 kilometers of fences and walls that separate the United States from Mexico. Another is the roads\u00a0<\/span>hindering the migration and mobility of<\/span><\/b>\u00a0a large number of animal species. To turn around situations like this, more and more infrastructure projects are being designed to support the conservation of biodiversity and reduce the works\u2019\u00a0impact on animal populations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Life in the wildlife corridors\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over the last decades, infrastructures like roads or highways were built to prioritize the needs of vehicles and drivers. However,<\/span>\u00a0it didn\u2019t take long to see the consequences<\/span><\/b>: every year, millions of\u00a0animals are run over, causing economic, human, and environmental losses. In addition, roads keep animals from moving freely to access food, flee fires or predators, and follow their migration routes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the solutions to this problem came in the form of wildlife corridors, structures that connect habitats on both sides of highways or rail lines. They are\u00a0<\/span>often bridges or tunnels<\/span><\/b>, but they can also take the form of ropes (so that animals such as primates can cross).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Years ago, it was found that wildlife crossings help reduce the number of collisions between animals and vehicles. Now, thanks to technology, we also know that they are used by a large number of different species: researchers from Utah State University recorded the activity in the\u00a0<\/span>Parleys Canyon Wildlife Overpass<\/span><\/b>\u00a0in the northern part of the state. In the video, you can see how bears, deer, squirrels, porcupines, foxes, and even elk, as well as other animals, use the bridge regularly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n