In India’s mountainous Uttarakhand state, forest officials have taken the initiative to build a unique bridge for reptiles and other small animals to cross a busy highway
Called the Eco Bridge, it’s high at 90-foot (27-metre), and made from bamboo, jute and grass. It is the first of its kind.
The bridge serves as solution to a common problem; many animals are run over by speeding cars on roads every year. Officials are now growing creepers and grass to attract animals to the bridge.
The bridge itself has now become a tourist attraction, with many passing through stopping to take photos and selfies. But the forest department hopes that it will soon start attracting animals as well.
“This is a dense forest, and elephants, leopards, deer and bulls move in this area. Drivers can see them from some distance and slow down or stop, but they rarely do so for snakes, lizards, monitors or squirrels,” a forest official told the Indian Express newspaper.
Officials are hopeful that this bridge will help create awareness around smaller animals and reptiles in the area as well as help to protect them.
