When Los Angeles first saw photos of P-22, a wild tagged puma living in the city’s Griffith Park, they were immediately captivated by the big cat, reported BBC. But as details of his solitary existence emerged, it became clear that P-22 was representative of a far bigger problem — animals who had been effectively trapped by urban development.
Somehow, P-22 had made the perilous journey across two highways to end up living in the middle of LA. But his position meant he would likely be mateless and solitary for life.
That’s when several people stepped in to advocate in favor of assisting P-22 and others like him — including other mountain lions as well as bobcats, birds, and other roaming species. One of those advocates was Beth Pratt, California’s regional executive director at the National Wildlife Federation.
“These roads were just literally dooming this population to extinction because they were trapped and isolated and were inbreeding themselves out of existence, which science was starting to show,” Pratt told BBC.
Her proposed plan — a wildlife crossing — would allow individuals like P-22 to migrate safely between connected regions, passing over the dangerous highways that normally spell death for them. What Pratt didn’t expect, however, was a battle for the crossing that would span decades.
Fortunately, she joined forces with Paul Edelman, the deputy director of natural resources and planning at the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Edelman had begun researching the potential need for wildlife crossings back in 1989 — and he’d been fighting for one in the Santa Monica Mountain range ever since.
For many years, he wheedled and fought to buy up parcels of land in the chosen area using public funds. Then, when it came to fundraising for the bridge, Pratt stepped in to help. She launched an innovative fundraising campaign using P-22’s popularity — including selling sweaters with his face on them — to raise over $100 million in donations from public and private funds.
“I think building relationships with animals is actually what we need to be doing, and what humanity has done for a long time,” she said, per BBC.
Now, after decades of collective effort, the crossing is nearing completion and is set to open in 2026.
“We never thought it would take that long,” Edelman shared with BBC. “But the complexity of it, I guess I never gave up on it.”
It’s going to be the largest wildlife crossing in the world, spanning 165 feet long and nearly as wide. Architects and conservationists have carefully assessed every detail, from its vegetation, coloring, sun glare, noise level, slope, and more, to maximize its impact.
The crossing will serve not only pumas, but coyotes, bobcats, deer, birds, and more as they seek new territories and mates. Not only will this help give these animals an expanded territorial range, but it will also help prevent costly traffic accidents, keep roads safer, and serve as an emergency evacuation route in the event of wildfires.
And even before its opening, the LA crossing has inspired similar proposals in California and beyond, from a salamander crossing in Mississippi to a bighorn sheep crossing in a tribal park in North Dakota.
Pratt believes strongly in the work they’re doing. She told BBC, “I think building relationships with animals is actually what we need to be doing, and what humanity has done for a long time.”
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