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Jeff Burrell / Wildlife Conservation Society
Pronghorn cross a new overpass on Wyoming's U.S. 191.
The fastest land animal in the U.S. now has safe passage across a Wyoming highway -- extending a seasonal migration that's been going on for 6,000 years.
Pronghorn antelope have started using two overpasses atop Highway 191 that were completed this fall, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced this week. Eight-foot high fencing channels the animals to the crossing points.
“The importance of these overpasses and their use by pronghorn cannot be overstated,” Joel Berger, a Wildlife Conservation Society scientist, said in a statement announcing the first successful crossings. “They eliminate the danger of collisions and will help to preserve a spectacular element of our natural heritage -- the longest mammal migration in the 48 contiguous United States.”
The group has been tracking pronghorn in the area and provided data for Wyoming to decide where to put the overpasses.
The entire $10 million project includes six underpasses used by deer, moose, elk and other animals. Pronghorn got the overpasses because they don't like going into tunnels.
The eight passages are along a 13-mile stretch of Highway 191. The state's aim was to reduce car-wildlife crashes -- from 2002 and 2006, 49 deer and three pronghorn were killed in crashes.
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Able to run at speeds up to 70 mph, pronghorn probably numbered around 35 million in North America two centuries ago, the Wildlife Conservation Society stated. Today, Wyoming is home to more than half of the estimated 700,000 pronghorn left in North America.
The pronghorn use the corridor to get back and forth between winter sagebrush in the Upper Green River Basin and summer grounds in Grand Teton National Park.
Several hundred make the 93-mile migration each season -- and now they have the chance to do it without stopping at Highway 191.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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I may have missed something in the article. Early in this well-researched, and totally fact-checked article, Joel Berger, a Wildlife Conservation Society scientist stated, "They eliminate the danger of collisions and will help to preserve a spectacular element of our natural heritage -- the longest mammal migration in the 48 contiguous United States." And also, "Today, Wyoming is home to more than half of the estimated 700,000 pronghorn left in North America." In the last paragraph, the author states, "Several hundred make the 93-mile migration each season." Because the longest mammal migration HAS to be longer than 93 miles, there are apparently several hundred thousand more motivated pronghorns who are taking this migration thing seriously and really supporting the migration program. Before building bridges, the Wyoming should consider doing something about these "several hundred" Wyoming pronghorn slackers.
omg lol
Stupid 47%er pronghorns slackers....lol
Animal rights groups in Wyoming must have some pretty embarrassing pictures of the Republicans to get this pushed through.
What a nice story! A refreshing break from "you know what!"
Dumbest animals I've ever seen
I worked in Wyoming for a little over a year, these are w/o a doubt the dumbest animals I've ever seen. I could be driving and not a car in sight for miles , these pronghorn would be grazing and one of them would decide to cross road , the other gazillion of them would follow. Right in front of my truck for no reason, once they started they wouldn't stop. I wanted to make a giant spear so I could just stack them up like shish ke bobs on the front of my truck.
Great idea - hopefully all animals will use these crossings - I even hate to see dead squirrels, skunks and chipmonks on our highways. I had a baby bear run into the side of my car a few months ago and he bounced off the car and laid next to the guard rail. I pulled over and got out of the car and headed toward the little bugger = got about 2 feet away from him/her and the eyes opened wide and he/she hopped up and ran across the road into the woods. Friends and family asked why I stopped - I said to see if it was hurt and if it was to put it in my car and take it to a vet. They thought I was nuts and said what if it came to and attacked you. My response was I have a gate that I put up when I have my two 65 lb. dogs in my car and they can't get into the front seat so how could a baby bear that probably weighed at the most 30 lbs. get into the front seat. I am a believer in taking rifles and bow and arrows away so that hunters can't shoot wildlife. Someone will say I know, what about hamburger, chicken, lamb, pork, etc. - I don't eat meat of any kind, but raising animals for feeding people is not the same as hunting down wildlife to kill in my book - just my opinion. You know reading the news today, it might be a good idea to ban guns, knives and other kill weapons so that those that use these things to kill other people will have to resort to other things. Maybe once again we can get to a peaceful nation. I don't believe in the death penalty, but life in prison is okay and should also go for pedophiles who rape children and a minimum of 50 years for domestic violence and sexual assault of women. I am ready for the negative comments.
You're a sweet heart. I agree with you about longing to be a peaceful nation. We've got a ways to go, but we seem to be trying to find better ways to manage diverse challenges and balance our response to them.
On the overpasses, are they going to post speed limits on the pronghorn, too?
Is 60 mph the going rate?
Can we hunt on the bridges Pronghorn good rich meat. What is the best way to watch pronghorn easy through a scope!
Two things come to mind here and its been said by Wyoming residents: Wyomig is never broke and they have a surplus every year. A result of this surplus is that all of their state lands are managed the way they should be and not as they are in other states. These crossings insure that the populations are not disrupted. Item number two is: As long as the antelope have a clear field of view they'll cross and they won't do it through a tunnel which obviously obstructs their view.
Wyoming is one of two states that actually do things to promote and help its native wildlife. And that ladies and gents is something we could really use a firm lesson in.
Right on! How do you handle your wolf situation?
It is exciting to see creative ideas put to use to save wildlife. Maybe there's some hope for us after all. It's not about conquering. It's about managing and balancing.
This is how we learn to live WITH nature. It's not done by fighting it, but by assisting it.