UK conservation charity the National Trust is planning to build a rope bridge 7.6m in the air for red squirrels on the Welsh island of Anglesey.
The bridge will give the rodents a safe route over the A4080 in the southeast of the island, where tens of squirrels are killed by traffic each year. The crossing will link the gardens of the grade I-listed Plas Newydd country house in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll to local woodlands.
Holly Peek, a Red Squirrels Trust Wales ranger, is quoted by the BBC as saying: “Red squirrels much prefer being in the canopy, so it’s hoped if we provide that option over crossing the road, they will take it. Â
“If there’s more squirrels around, the population is going to grow and they will spread to new areas as well.”
Red squirrel numbers are declining owing to the introduction of grey squirrels and the reduction in their natural habitat. Without conservation efforts the species could be extinct in the UK by 2030.
The bridge is part of a £10,000 initiative that will aims to ensure the future of the species.
Last year, a $10m bridge was built to allow wildlife to cross the 11-lane Gyeongbu Expressway in South Korea.
Image: A red squirrel in a tree (Wikimedia Commons)
