Wild Animals Overpass

Overpass: A project prepared by the Western Black Sea Forestry Research Institute aims to prevent wild animals and to prevent traffic accidents.
Chief Engineer İlhami Turan said in his statement, “The Wild Animals Overpass Project has been accepted by the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs and that work is underway for its implementation.
In this context, Turan stated that the first phase of the study, which will last for three years, will start on July 1, and that similar projects in the world will be investigated, reports will be prepared and then the construction of overpasses will be evaluated.
Explaining that the D-100 highway will be investigated on two highways leading to the Bolu region, Mengen district and Devrek border, Turan reminded that the habitats of wild animals in the region are divided due to roads. Explaining that photo traps will be placed on the said routes and observations will be made, Turan said, “In addition, trail traps that do not harm the animals will be placed. A lime-like powder will be sprinkled on the ground and it will be determined which animal has passed through the tracks. "The times they passed from that area will be determined by photo traps."
İlhami Turan stated that the accident data of the roads included in the project would be taken from the police and gendarmerie, and said:
“All of these will be collected and it will be determined which animal passed from which point. Later, animal-specific passageways will be suggested. For a deer, a bridge crossing, an overpass would be necessary, while for a squirrel a thinner suspension bridge 20-30 cm wide could be built from trees to trees. For a marten or an otter, round or angular passages can be used under the road. We will be able to propose them at the end of the project. Accidents that cause human deaths occur due to wild animals. At the end of this project, both humans, animals and our country will benefit. "
"It has been observed that animals such as deer and roe deer die due to stress."
Turan said that the project would be carried out in harmony with the nature and aimed to reduce the harm that people give to nature and continued their words as follows:
“We have to use the roads to get from one place to another. As we make these roads, we divide the habitats. Animals that stay in these habitats have to reach some of their resources. Water resources are the main ones. There are grazing areas, mating areas, these animals do not mate everywhere, nesting areas, different uses for each species. Animals whose habitat zones are divided and deprived want to reach those areas.
They are forced to cross these highways. Therefore
traffic accidents occur. Even if there is no accident, it can be observed that sometimes they do not reproduce or mate because that animal is scared. It has been observed that animals such as deer and roe deer die under stress. "
Stating that a report will be prepared as a result of the study, Turan said, “We are a research institution. We are not an implementation unit. When this project is completed, we say there should be a squirrel, deer and bear parade. If animal overpasses in the project are built, traffic accidents are minimized. These ways we do are artificial. There will be some more accidents until the animals get used to it. Wild animals are learning fast. Animals will learn these passages over time, ”he said.
Turan said that the project would attract the interest of the people who love nature and organized trips on the mentioned routes and added that the children could be informed about the wild animals.