The implementation of wildlife crossings on Tamaulipas highways is an urgent need to avoid more collisions of wild species, warned biologist Gabriel Cruz Reséndiz after the gray fox specimen was hit by a vehicle on the Tampico bridge.
He indicated that the unfortunate event is an example of the problems that animals face when crossing roads. “Roads are like a kind of barrier, all linear infrastructure fragments the habitat of animals. So in order to cross they need to go through the road; to look for shelter, food and even their partners, so they end up being victims of vehicles.”
The expert stressed that according to statistics, in Mexico 365 thousand animals suffer from road accidents every year. Wildlife crossings such as underground tunnels or green bridges are an effective solution that has already been implemented in large-scale projects such as the Mayan Train, however in Tamaulipas there are no records of these spaces even though the state has ecosystems that house a significant diversity of wildlife.
What is needed to create these bridges?
“The necessary resources need to be lowered, studies that have already been proposed to the government need to be carried out. We don’t go that far, here on the Luis Donaldo Colosio bypass passing Miramar there is a lot of wildlife mortality. Every day animals are run over, such as coatis, iguanas and even crocodiles have died on that road and studies are also needed to see how the habitats that are fragmented by that line that passes through there can be connected.”
The biologist known on social media as “Gabriel Wildx” regretted the hit-and-run of the gray fox that occurred on Wednesday night on the Tampico bridge, because although it is not considered an endangered species, “it is not very common to see it,” he concluded.
Source: milenio
