Squirrel bridge
A squirrel bridge is a construction (similar to a wildlife crossing) which enables small animals, especially squirrels and martens, to safely cross busy roadways. The bridges are a measure for wildlife management and natural habitat preservation, and serve the functions of both animal welfare and accident prevention. The Nutty Narrows Bridge in Longview, Washington, built in 1963, is regarded as the first of its kind.
Costs to construct squirrel bridges vary significantly, depending on construction. Simple rope bridge constructions, such as those in Brecht, Belgium, have cost only about 250 euros, while the bridge built in The Hague in 2013 took half a year to construct and cost 150,000-200,000 euros.
List of squirrel bridges
The following bridges protect the red squirrel, common in Europe, or the North American gray squirrel (either of which may be hunted as an invasive species depending on the continent).
Image | Country | Place | Year | Type/Number | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
USA | Arizona, Mount Graham | 2010[1] | 41 rope bridges | Protects the Mount Graham Red Squirrel | |
USA | Nutty Narrows Bridge, Longview, Washington | 1963 | Suspension bridge | ||
Belgium | Brussels, Ring 0 | 2013[2][3] | Ropes/nets and steel pipe attached to a gantry | ||
Belgium | Brecht, Belgium, Andrélaan | 2013[4] | Two rope bridges | ||
France | La Rochelle, Parc Franck-Delmas/Parc d'Orbigny | 2012[5] | Rope bridge | „Écureuilloduc“ | |
Netherlands | Rijksweg 12, Kilometer 73,90 | 2012[6] | |||
Netherlands | The Hague, Benoordenhoutseweg | 2012[7][8] | A camera monitoring the bridge has shown that squirrels largely ignore the bridge.[9] | ||
Netherlands | Amsterdam, Europaboulevard in Amstelpark | 2011/2012[7][10] | Parallel ropes connected to netting. | ||
Netherlands | Roermond, Heinsbergerweg | 2013[11] | |||
Germany | Berlin-Friedrichshagen, Müggelseedamm | 2014[12] | Rope bridge | ||
Germany | Vlotho, Burgstraße | 2012[13][14] | Rope bridge | ||
United Kingdom | Scotland, Aberdeen | 2008[15] | |||
United Kingdom | England, near Formby | 2004[16] | Rope bridge |
Similar concepts for other species
Image | Country | Place | Year | Type/Number | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | Victoria, near Benalla | 2007[17] | Rope bridge | For sugar gliders and possums | |
Australia | Victoria, Longwood | Rope bridge | For sugar gliders and possums | ||
Kenya | Diani Beach | 1997[18] | about 200, rope ladder construction | "Colobridges", for colobus monkeys |
See also
Further reading
- Why did the squirrel cross the road? Science and technology news, University of Leeds, 2008
- Squirrel Bridges and Road Warning Signs
- Brendan D. Taylor, Ross L. Goldingay: Can Road-Crossing Structures Improve Population Viability of an Urban Gliding Mammal?
References
- ↑ John Wetenhall: Arizona Spends $1.25M to Save 250 Squirrels abcnews.go.com, June 17, 2010
- ↑ Plaatsing boombrug over de ring om Brussel (R0), July 10, 2013
- ↑ Primeur: boombrug in Zoniënwoud, zonienwoud.be
- ↑ Neel Vermeiren: Bomen Andrélaan verbonden met touw. Brug helpt eekhoorns bij het oversteken December 12, 2013
- ↑ L'écureuil n'a pas le vertige, http://www.sudouest.fr, March 14, 2012
- ↑ Boombruggen, mjpo.nl
- 1 2 Den Haag heeft de duurste eekhoornbrug rtlnieuws.nl
- ↑ Eekhoorns negeren peperdure brug De Telegraaf, October 18, 2013
- ↑ http://www.nu.nl/dieren/4218978/haagse-eekhoornbrug-vorig-jaar-twee-keer-gebruikt.html
- ↑ Eekhoornbrug Beschreibung mit Fotos
- ↑ Antrag im Gemeinderat, September 2013
- ↑ Berlins erste Eichhörnchen-Brücke, berliner-kurier.de, March 7, 2014
- ↑ erste Eichhörnchenbrücke, mt-online.de, 1. Oktober 2012, abgerufen am 14. März 2014
- ↑ piratenpartei-herford.de, Dennis Deutschkämer: Piraten errichten Eichhörnchenbrücke (mit Webcam-Videos), mt-online.de October 29, 2012
- ↑ Squirrel Bridge To Be Built Over New Aberdeen Bypass buildscotland.co.uk, May 28, 2008
- ↑ Rope bridge helps save squirrels, news.bbc.co.uk, 1. März 2004
- ↑ June 2008. Early success in protecting native animals from roads and traffic
- ↑ Colobridges for Primate Conservation, colobusconservation.org, July 1, 2013