Habitat Corridor—A Wildlife Overpass

Habitat Corridor

Due to the interference of human activities and the crossing of the 209 National Highway and other tourist highways, some species in the ecosystems were relatively isolated from others, which posed a threat to regional biodiversity protection and ecological security, and restricted wild animals' migration and activities.

In order to promote the interactions of species and connectivity of the ecosystem in the Shennongjia and Pan-Shennongjia regions in western Hubei and eastern Chongqing, Shennongjia National Park has initiated a wildlife passage program by building habitat passages in places where entry and exit of animals has been restricted so that wild animals could run freely. These passages blended into nature with the construction of naturally fallen trees, strangler vines, lichen, and other primitive forest elements. The result was a naturally integrated environment. Infrared monitoring equipment was installed near the passages to photograph and observe the adaptation of wild animals and promote wildlife protection and research. As a result, a special "road and passage network" was built to enable wild animals to come and go as they please.

On June 8, we saw an arched overpass near the Great Dragon Pool in Shennongjia National Park, which was actually a fallen century-old tree spanning over the trail in the woods. It was covered with wild flowers, grass, and moss, and properly trimmed by people. As a result, it became a dedicated animal overpass, on which dozens of golden monkeys were seen scurrying by.

According to Li Chunqing, deputy director of the Service Bureau of Shennongjia National Park, there were more than 20 overpasses like this in Shennongjia, including a multi-purpose animal tree bridge, two overpasses for golden monkeys, and more than 20 simple passages along the highway and food supply points for birds in the Dajiu Lake wetlands.