Canopy bridges are proving effective in reducing roadkill for arboreal animals in the Amazon. In Alta Floresta, a town in Mato Grosso state, eight canopy bridges installed in 2024 have enabled 15,000 safe crossings by animals over 15 months, with no roadkill recorded in that period.
This initiative, involving Projeto Reconecta and the municipal government, aims to connect fragmented forest patches. Species recorded using the bridges include the black-faced black spider monkey, Purús red howler monkey, tufted capuchin, Schneider’s marmoset, and the critically endangered Alta Floresta titi monkey.
The success in Alta Floresta follows an earlier project in 2021 where 32 canopy bridges were installed over the BR-174 highway, documenting approximately 1,250 primate crossings over five years. These bridges are designed to accommodate various primate locomotion styles and have also been used by small terrestrial mammals like opossums and sloths.
The project is set to expand, with eight more bridges planned for installation in Alta Floresta's urban area in August. This expansion will require the electric utility to lower and insulate power lines to prevent electrocution risks for animals.