Together: Wildlife Corridors in Los Angeles
, (2008)Los Angeles is the natural habitat to many animals, including predators such as mountain lions, coyotes and bears. Some of these species have become trapped in islands of habitat surrounded by developed areas, such as the Santa Monica mountains, which are home to a small and threatened population of mountain lions. In order to give mountain lions access to the up to 200 square miles of habitat they require to hunt and mate, environmentalists have begun advocating the creation of “Wildlife Corridors” that allow animals to move under or over freeways
and streets, re-joining fragmented habitats. Some of these corridors are improvised on existing structures, such as the equestrian tunnel under the 118 freeway that has been frequently used by a mountain lion to travel from the Simi Hills to the Santa Susanna mountain range. The project is a photo essay of how human and animal habitats are intermingled. The photographs show places where GPS collars have proven the existance of the the most wild predators in suburban neighborhoods, advocating more awareness of how human development effects these animals and ways we can continue to live together with them. Photos: Takashi Homma.
