Would you try to cross this highway?
Would you try to cross this highway?
2 · A real moment on the freeway
Why would a mountain lion risk this?
Because staying on one side forever creates a different kind of danger.
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THERE IS NO GOOD OPTION.Keep crossing, and the lion moves into traffic. Run back, and it still cannot reach the habitat it needs. The freeway has turned normal wildlife movement into a trap.
WHY CROSS AT ALL?
Mountain lions need room to move.
A lion may need to travel far beyond its usual area to survive and reproduce.
FOODfind prey
TERRITORYfind space
MATESfind other lions
Choose what the lion should do.Tap one of the two big yellow buttons below. The consequence will appear here.
3 · Meet P-22
This was P-22.
A wild mountain lion who somehow made a home in Griffith Park—right in the middle of Los Angeles.
GRIFFITH PARK
HOLLYWOOD SIGN
LA WILDLIFE ICON
P-22 became a symbol of a bigger problem.His life showed how hard it can be for wildlife to move through a city cut up by freeways.
P-22The mountain lion that made Los Angeles pay attention to wildlife connectivity.
4 · P-22's impossible journey
He had to get across Los Angeles.
To reach Griffith Park, P-22 likely crossed two enormous freeways: the 405 and the 101.
2 FREEWAYS · 1 LION
P-22'S LIKELY JOURNEY
Exact route unknown · P-22 was not collared yet
Watch P-22 move across the map.
HE MADE IT—BUT HE WAS STILL ISOLATED.Griffith Park became P-22's home, but it was surrounded by roads and city. To researchers' knowledge, he never found a mate.
STARTSanta Monica Mountains
ENDGriffith Park
A SAFER WAY EXISTS.
A wildlife crossing gives animals a safer way across.
P-22 survived crossing two major freeways. A wildlife crossing can help other animals avoid taking that same risk.
Animals cross above. Cars stay below.Fences help guide wildlife toward the crossing instead of onto the road.
6 · Build a piece of mountain
How do you turn a bridge into habitat?
The real Wallis Annenberg crossing did not become green all at once. It was built in layers.
A bridge is only the skeleton.Wildlife needs soil, native plants, shelter, darkness, and a landscape that feels connected to the mountains on both sides.
6
Follow the real construction. Tap the yellow button to move through the real construction photos.
REAL CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS · LIBERTY CANYON
PHOTO COULD NOT LOADThe story still works. Tap the next step to continue.
STEP 1 OF 5 · APRIL 2024
FIRST, BUILD THE SPAN.
Crews lifted enormous concrete girders across the freeway at night. This created the structure that everything else would sit on.
Photo courtesy of CaltransWHO CAN USE THE CROSSING?Not just mountain lions. Many different animals can use safer, connected habitat.
FINAL · SMALL ACTIONS, BIG IMPACT
Small projects can make a BIG difference.
When communities work together, there can be hope for a better future.