this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
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I found such a photo on the Internet and became interested in what function such a structure could perform.

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[–] StarManta@lemmy.world 594 points 1 year ago (6 children)

My guess is that it will be a “nature highway” so migratory species can cross over the road

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 422 points 1 year ago (4 children)

1000006081

These are great for wildlife as they provide a safe crossing over high-speed highways. They are usually design to be in already existing migration paths where moving a proposed highway may not work and not disrupting migration paths is of importance.

[–] RealFknNito@lemmy.world 129 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So they're literally building the mountain next year. Neat.

[–] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

They dug it out before. Later they rebuild it. But if they wait for a year, nature suffers much.

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 43 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Looks like a nice choke point for a predator to hang about.

[–] SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world 47 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Possibly but I’d think it’s still safer than vehicles and less disruptive to overall migration for a given species.

I wonder if there’s been any studies showing how effective, if at all, these are.

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago

There have been study's, these crossing are usually design to feel like open fields in a sense, so most animals will cross quick and on high alert to get through the "opening" in the field.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (8 children)

Are there any predators smart enough to strategize like this? I know that some use water holes as hunting grounds, but that's probably more instinctive than actual strategy.

[–] gohixo9650@discuss.tchncs.de 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Are there any predators smart enough to strategize like this?

it is the predators that build such passages. Have you ever seen any construction company building them? Even in the first photo that is under construction, there is not any human worker in sight

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

That under construction pit is the pit of the manlion. It's similar to the pit of the antlion, except for construction workers.

They always have to deal with the manlion before they start building. Often by pouring concrete over it.

[–] LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

So you're telling me lions and tigers built that tunnel and that natural bridge? okay.

[–] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Would they need to be that smart? Ambush predators that stay in roughly one area, for example, could naturally grow their numbers in the area around such a chokepoint simply by virtue of the ones in that area having more food available and therefore better survival chances.

[–] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I think that these human-made structures provide such a different environment (loud sounds from cars, moving/flashing lights etc.) that previous instinctual adaptations wouldn't trigger.

[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago

They can track other species by smell at least. If that path is used by too many and smells like a farm, they would probably get used to hang around it naturally.

[–] Metatronz@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Maybe canines? Idk

I just think it would be dope to drive under as a dramatic fight between an elk and wolves tumbled off the side onto my vehicle. Killing all of us instantly. What a way to go!

[–] ook_the_librarian@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

After seeing an aerial view of an African wild dog hunt, a coyote hanging out by a bottleneck doesn't seem outlandish. (here)

[–] creditCrazy@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I know octopi have been escaping their aquarium enclosures and covering their tracks that humans would see. Just to take one at a time pray from their tank. If I recall correctly even killer wailes have been taking down human boats. In conclusion there are for Shure aquatic predators that use genuine strategy. Granted with my killer waile example is a similar case of is it strategy or instinct.

[–] turboshadowcool@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Good point, not sure the the strategizing octopi will be a major concern for this crossing tho. I guess you're never really save from those devious creatures..

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 1 points 1 year ago

I don't imagine it would be a major problem though maybe it would let them get one or two easy meals but predators don't hunt unless they're hungry. So once they've taken down one prey animal they'll ignore the rest. On a species level it's probably not a major issue.

As opposed to roads which will kill lots of animals.

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's taken into consideration of the design of these crossings.

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'd like to read about that,understand how it's done. it's a thought I have whenever I see them but of course the professionals designing them would have thought about it.

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

There was a documentary I watch years ago where they went into great detail into this, as well as the design of these things. Can't remember where i saw this documentary though.

Anyways, researchers setup cameras trigger by movement and body heat to watch these overpasses and found no evidence of higher predetor active.

They also went into detail about how these things are design with extra width and gentle slopes to make them as "friendly" as possible depending on the specific species that will be migrating in the area, as different wildlife species prefer different types of crossing structures.

For example:

Grizzly bears and wolves

Wary animals like grizzly bears and wolves there is a "learning curve", it may take up to five years before they feel secure using newly built crossings. Grizzly bears, elk, moose and deer prefer wildlife crossings that are high, wide and short in length, including overpasses

Cougars and black bears

Cougars and black bears prefer long, low and narrow crossings such as underpasses.

Elk

Elk are usually the first large species to use the new crossings, even using some while they are still under construction!

Here are some articles that talk about some of the studies:

https://wildlife.org/wild-cam-do-predators-ambush-at-underpasses/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-67340-8

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago

Awesome, thank you.

[–] Sparlock@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Yea elk don't give a fuck about much really. We have a few herds where I live and they don't even move when we walk our dogs nearby. I even have a video of one coming right up to the fence around my property, both my great pyrenees were losing their minds with the elk less than a foot away, the elk seemed more curious about the noisy little things ("little" relative to a full grown elk that is) than anything else.

[–] GingeyBook@lemm.ee 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

IIRC they just hire someone to sit there and say "shoo" at any potential predators

[–] FunderPants@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

How can I get this job? I'm almost 40 and I haven't been eaten by a mountain lion yet. 100% success. I'm qualified.

[–] hexabs@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

-- Mountain Lion Sun Tzu

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It is like that playground game, but with less violence since only one player gets hurt at a time.

[–] Mango@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's also amazing visually! Forget regular highways! Let's have buried highways! That's especially good for if our country is invaded because we can install physical barriers to logistical supply lines against us!

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[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 104 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Sure looks like an animal crossing.

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Why do they put deer crossing signs on the highway? Why can’t they put them on smaller roads instead‽

[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 24 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Also, deer can't read street signs, so they don't know where to cross.

[–] devnull406@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There's not much reading involved, it's got a big picture of a deer on it.

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[–] doublejay1999@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] bionicjoey@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 year ago

Street smarts!

[–] Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well they better learn. Or else... THEY DIE.

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Natural selection at work.

[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

It bothers me that someone actually said this,and was serious....

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[–] spankinspinach@sh.itjust.works 70 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is the one! They're ridiculously effective, so much so that my home provinces is sinking like 250 million into building 5 more of them over the next 5 years

[–] Mango@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It actually takes 50 million to make these? Gimme 50 good men who want to be millionaires and we can figure out the capital cost between us.

[–] LufyCZ@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A lot of the money is probably sunk into ecological surveys, permits, bureaucracy overall

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[–] Slow@lemmy.today 19 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Will there be compacted earth on top of the tunnel so animals can walk?

[–] nxdefiant@startrek.website 44 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yep, they call them land bridges. More of a hill than a mountain, but the meme is right!

[–] Slow@lemmy.today 17 points 1 year ago

This is cool. This is the first time I have heard about such projects.

[–] gohixo9650@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago

revisit the comment thread as someone has now posted a photo

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[–] MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So I was technically right in saying it would be an overpass, and as we all know technically right is the best kind of right lol

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