Global Courant
The young male black bear, known as BB-12, was quite the adventurous traveler during the three months he was tracked by the National Park Service before being found dead last Thursday.
Where not he goes? He crossed Highways 101 and 118, and once, in broad daylight, he daringly crossed Highway 23 north of the Tierra Rejada Road exit. He made at least two overnight trips to beaches near Malibu. He wandered through the sand at Leo Carillo Beach and hit Pt. Mugu on another outing. Each time, he left telltale paw marks that were discovered by early morning beachgoers. (And his GPS collar confirmed he was near Pacific Coast Highway.)
He ventured into two counties (LA and Ventura) and through three mountain ranges: the Santa Monicas, the Simi Hills and the Santa Susanas. He was an adept traverser of high-traffic highways—until he wasn’t. He was trying to cross Highway 101 at the top of Conejo Grade between Newbury Park and Camarillo, apparently on his way back to the Santa Monica Mountains, when he was hit by a vehicle.
Scientists are pretty sure that the first time they ever caught a glimpse of him, he was strolling down a street in Newbury Park. Two years later they would follow him to the western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains and tie him around his neck. Estimated to be 3 or 4 years old, park service officials thought he was the only black bear to live in the Santa Monica Mountains. A female, BB-11, is being tracked in the Santa Susanas, home to a breeding population of black bears.
BB-12’s short life may have a long legacy. His field trips gave scientists more data on how animals move in search of habitat. Later this year, the National Park Service and several other local and state agencies will launch an investigation into how animals travel (or attempt to travel) in the Conejo Grade area – where this young male bear was killed.
By tracking BB-12’s many crossings over the past three months, scientists can find the connection points from one habitat to another. These are the places where various wild animals risk their lives crossing busy roads.
For bears, mountain lions and all kinds of wildlife, highways and high-traffic roads are treacherous dividing lines between areas of habitat needed for mating and territory. Observing for years how animals repeatedly crossed the 101 at Liberty Canyon – or approached the highway, changed his mind and turned around — led to the state-of-the-art nature corridor under construction there. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing must be completed in 2025.
There are more attempts to cross safely. A law passed last year will list areas critical to moving wildlife and require new state transportation projects in those areas to reduce their impact on wildlife.
The more scientists can provide wild animals with safe passage from one habitat to another, the more they can evade our vehicles. That’s something we want so they can thrive and we can marvel at their coexistence with us.
Editorial: BB-12’s short lifespan could help provide longer lives for other bears and local critters
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