KTLA5: Mountain lion death renews push for 2 proposed wildlife crossings in Mojave Desert
The recent death of a mountain lion trying to cross State Route 62 has added a renewed urgency to a state-funded project to construct two wildlife crossings over the busy highway in California’s Mojave Desert.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the mountain lion was an 18-month-old male. It was reportedly struck by a car while moving from the San Bernardino Mountains side of the highway toward Joshua Tree National Park on April 26, near one of the proposed wildlife crossing sites.
California’s Wildlife Conservation Board awarded the Mojave Desert Land Trust $5.5 million in grant funding in February for the planning phase of the two crossings. The structures would provide safe passage for wildlife and help reduce vehicle collisions involving animals.