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Brazil's Bridges Save Endangered Primates
9 Oct
Summary
- Canopy bridges enabled 15,000 safe animal crossings.
- Eight bridges in Alta Floresta reduced roadkill incidents.
- A national wildlife road safety bill is pending Senate vote.
Eight canopy bridges installed in Alta Floresta, Brazil, have enabled over 15,000 safe crossings for arboreal animals, including critically endangered primates. This initiative, a collaboration between Projeto Reconecta and the municipal government, has dramatically reduced roadkill incidents in the area since their installation in 2024. Camera trap footage documented crossings by species such as the black-faced black spider monkey and the critically endangered Alta Floresta titi monkey.
Projeto Reconecta has previously implemented similar projects, including the installation of 32 bridges over BR-174 in 2021. These projects aim to reconnect fragmented forest patches and mitigate the devastating impact of highways on wildlife. Brazil faces a significant challenge, with an estimated 9 million mammals killed on its roads annually, contributing to habitat loss and declining genetic diversity.
A bill currently before Brazil's Senate proposes a national road safety plan for wildlife, which could lead to the nationwide implementation of canopy bridges and other wildlife crossings. The design developed by Reconecta was designated a recommended standard by Brazil's national department of transport infrastructure in 2026. This expansion aims to protect species like the buffy-headed marmoset in biomes such as the Pantanal and Atlantic Forest.
