Western Australia is about to get a possum bridge

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After the sad news about the 93-year-old told she was going to be deported to England (you can catch up here https://www.mylot.com/post/3286394/today-i-am-almost-ashamed-of-my-country), it’s nice to be able to report some good news. In one of Western Australia’s most sensitive wetland areas, native possums are falling prey to predators and to heavy traffic. The brushtail possums’ native habitat has been cut in two by a major road. Now, a cable-tensioned rope bridge will be strung between two trees, one on either side of the road, to provide the possums with safe access to either area. The bridge will be 6.3 metres long and is being hailed as a breakthrough which will prevent native possums being killed by both predators and heavy traffic by keeping them off the road and off the ground. It is believed the bridge will also increase the long-term survival of the species by dispersing their population. The males in particular are very territorial and need to be able to create new areas for themselves. There are several of these bridges already operating with success in the south of the state, for the benefit of both the brushtail possum and the western ringtail possum. In other news, a 12-metre wide bridge for native animals will be built across the Mitchell Freeway and is due for completion in September. It will be off limits to humans and covered in vegetation to mimic the natural environment. This will allow native animals to move along the natural corridors that they have always used. It would be wonderful outcome if the native animals can be persuaded to use these bridges. Photo courtesy Wikimedia