Rescue dogs and researchers seek out scat for wildlife crossing study

Morongo Valley, California – October 6, 2026 – The local wildlife may not know it, but two wildlife overcrossings on State Route 62 between Palm Springs and Yucca Valley, CA are being planned to provide them with some urgently-needed relief. Three conservation-minded organizations are preparing to track how wildlife will respond. New wildlife research, which will occur alongside the crossings project, will document how exactly local species move in the area before and after the project – with a little help from our canine friends.

Up to 3 million people drive through this region annually to visit the popular Joshua Tree National Park. To get there, many take SR 62 where they risk running into animals like bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and black bears. The collisions present safety risks for drivers and reduce movement of wildlife populations, a key factor in their long-term health. The highway bisects Sand to Snow National Monument, designated in 2016 to protect a continuous wildlife corridor between the 11,502-foot Mount San Gorgonio and the juniper-dotted hills bordering Joshua Tree National Park. With traffic volumes now averaging 25,000 vehicles per day and concrete medians where wildlife are most active, SR 62 presents a deadly game of frogger for any animal that attempts to cross. The two wildlife crossings are being designed to safeguard travelers, residents, and the diverse wildlife that call the area home.

New studies in October 2026 will collect genetic data on mountain lions, desert bighorn sheep, and bobcats to assess indicators of connectivity like cross-highway breeding and current wildlife movement across  SR 62. The same indicators will be measured after the SR 62 crossings are built to look for improvements. The critical pre-crossing data will allow researchers to assess the long-term effect of the crossings and how they increase wildlife movement through this corridor. This wildlife monitoring project is a partnership between Wildlands Network and the Mojave Desert Land Trust, which is leading the planning effort for the two wildlife crossings.

“Big conservation investments like this need to be studied in great detail at the right moments”, says Christina Aiello, wildlife biologist at Wildlands Network. “We can gain insights about when these actions produce the results we want and when they don’t, we can determine what changes are needed to improve the outcomes – we owe it to the community and the stakeholders involved to do this right and learn as much as we can in the process.”

To collect genetic data, Wildlands Network has enlisted the help of Rogue Detection Teams, a company that specializes in a unique survey method. They pair rescue dogs with a new lease on life, trained to find scat from specific species, along with a field biologist experienced at working with the dogs to find and collect scat for genetic sampling. This non-invasive approach can limit stress to wildlife, while providing valuable information about animal movement and genetic health. Scats will then be sent to labs that can extract DNA and identify individuals – providing the raw data needed to understand movement and genetic exchange across the highway.

The survey results and genetic data collected by the team will not only help the crossing designs and evaluations but will also be shared to aid state and federal agency management strategies. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management are all supporting partners of this research.

Over the next three years, the Mojave Desert Land Trust will bring the proposed crossing projects to 65% design completion, setting the stage for implementation, thanks to funding from California’s Wildlife Conservation Board, Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, and Caltrans. Overpasses are being planned for two critical points on SR 62 where numerous wildlife deaths have been documented.

Mountain lions are particularly under threat in this area – high roadkill rates and fragmented habitat have isolated two populations in the region. Their numbers are now so low that they may risk extinction if they cannot remain connected to other populations.

“These new surveys are a fascinating part of the planning phase of the crossings and help our communities understand the natural movement of some of the larger animals using this wildlife corridor”, says Kelly Herbinson, Executive Director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust. “We need to address the significant impediment to wildlife movement that the highway has created. The crossings project is an investment in solutions that not only protect wildlife but support safer roads and more resilient communities.”

Information about the surveys will be shared with the community and preliminary results published in 2027, providing the public with an opportunity to learn more about the charismatic wildlife found here. To learn more about the project or get involved, go to mdlt.org/wildlife-crossings.

About Wildlands Network

Wildlands Network works to reconnect, restore, and rewild North America so that life — in all its diversity — can thrive. We combine research, policy change, and partnerships that span grassroots initiatives to nation-wide campaigns to protect wildlife at a continental scale. In California, we sponsored the Safe Roads and Wildlife Protection Act, which expanded California’s wildlife crossings program, and are contributing expertise to wildlife crossing projects throughout the state. Learn more at wildlandsnetwork.org.

About Mojave Desert Land Trust

The Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to protect and care for lands with natural, scenic, and cultural value within the Colorado and Mojave Deserts. Since its founding in 2006, MDLT has conserved over 135,000 acres, conveying more tracts of land to the National Park Service than any other nonprofit. MDLT established a conservation seed bank to ensure the preservation of native species and operates an onsite nursery at its Joshua Tree headquarters which has grown over 140,000 native plants for restoration projects and community landscaping. MDLT educates and advocates for the conservation of the desert, involving hundreds of volunteers in our work. For more information, visit mdlt.org.

About Rogue Detection Teams

Rogue Detection Teams partners skilled detection dog teams with scientists to support noninvasive wildlife research, providing hands-on instruction to expand the thoughtful use of detection dogs in conservation.