Travis Longcore for LAist — Getting A Mountain Lion To Safely Cross A Road Isn’t Easy. What It Means For Planned $90M Land Bridge

UCLA ecologist Travis Longcore discusses the critical role of a $90M land bridge project for LAist, sharing how it aims to address the challenges faced by mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains. Experts believe the Wallis Annenberg wildlife crossing—which Longcore has consulted—will minimize the deadly impact of the 101 freeway, mitigate low genetic diversity associated with inbreeding and facilitate safe passage for mountain lions.

The article highlights Longcore’s recent research indicating that the big cats tend to avoid bright sources of light at night, linking it to potential risks associated with human activity. Longcore hopes to minimize nearby light pollution so it’s “crystal crystal clear to an animal that this [land bridge] is a safer route than anything else they might do,” Longcore said.