First coyote climbs world’s largest wildlife crossing before it opens

A coyote was photographed on the southern slope of the unfinished Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, offering an early milestone for the project. The overpass, scheduled to open Dec. 2, will help wildlife safely navigate 10 lanes of U.S. 101 freeway.

A visitor was spotted climbing the unfinished Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in California last week as the project quickly approaches its opening date. 

On Oct. 28 at about 6 a.m. PDT, cameras captured the first photo of a large mammal, a coyote, climbing the southern slope of the crossing, which is scheduled to officially open to wildlife on Dec. 2, 2026. The National Park Service (NPS) shared the black-and-white image of the animal on Wednesday, Nov. 4.  

"We're not officially open yet, but that didn't stop our first wildlife visitor from showing up early!" the crossing's official Facebook page wrote in a post describing the milestone. "And to everyone who wondered how wildlife would know where to go without signs ... apparently, they've figured it out." 

Officials added that a western fence lizard was technically the first animal on the crossing, and butterflies and birds have been using the habitat.

Camera monitoring is one method scientists will use to evaluate the effectiveness of the crossing, a 210-foot-long vegetated bridge in Agoura Hills that will span 10 lanes of the U.S. 101 freeway. The overpass will help animals such as mountain lions, bobcats, foxes and coyotes safely cross a highway that carries more than 300,000 vehicles a day.  

During recent construction, scientists have also seen gray foxes, mule deer, bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions regularly using a trail adjacent to the future overpass. 

The NPS added that in early November, biologists will install additional remote wildlife cameras at the crossing to study how animals use the structure, which species use it and how they respond to the new bridge. The installation is part of a broader monitoring program that includes other objectives such as evaluating changes in genetic diversity, light and sound, vegetation communities and other measures of ecological function. 

Reconnecting wildlife divided by decades of development

Scientists explained that the overpass also intends to reconnect wildlife populations in the Santa Monica Mountains with the Simi Hills to the north. Over time, research has shown how urban development and highways restrict wildlife movement and gene flow – work that provided the scientific foundation for the crossing. 

“This is more than just about whether animals use the crossing,” Seth Riley, the wildlife branch lead at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said in a statement. “We want to understand how effective it is in reconnecting an ecosystem that has been divided by the freeway for decades. That is a much bigger scientific question and answering it will take years.”    

Preconstruction monitoring techniques have already been taking place, including GPS tracking of large mammals, genetic studies of smaller vertebrates and observations of potential nearby crossing locations. This work provides scientists with a baseline as they study changes after the crossing opens, according to the NPS.  

Researchers also plan to implant a new tracking technology called bio loggers into animals such as deer to collect physiological data. Studying conditions like heart rate will help scientists evaluate whether animals become stressed while going over the freeway. 

With just over 20 days to go until the official opening, scientists, environmental advocates and locals are ready to celebrate a historic moment for California wildlife. 

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