Texas Border Business
LOS FRESNOS – Late last month, remote cameras captured another ocelot using one of the wildlife crossings under FM 106 (General Brandt Road) in Cameron County. The ocelot, known as OM283, crossed from back and forth on one of the eight wildlife crossings that lead to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
Wildlife crossings are structures that allow animals to cross human-made barriers safely and include underpass tunnels, viaducts, and overpasses or green bridges. Ocelots are critically endangered with a reported estimated population of 80 individuals left in South Texas. The use of wildlife crossing structures to provide safe passage under roadways is crucial to reducing ocelot mortalities and supporting ocelot conservation in South Texas. Eight years ago, US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) came together to develop plans to build eight underpass crossings on FM 106 during a roadway improvement project just east of Rio Hondo, TX. Construction started in November 2015, and the underpass crossing structures were completed in July 2019. The eight wildlife crossing underpasses have been monitored by remote still cameras since the project began in 2013.
Wildlife corridors are also found on SH 100 between Los Fresnos and South Padre Island.  The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) has been a valued partner in the effort of safety.  University faculty and students do research on measuring the effects of habitat changes and the installation of the wildlife crossings.  Ocelots are not the only wildlife to benefit from the crossings. Other Texas native species including armadillos, javelin, bobcats, long-tailed weasels, alligators and tortoises have used the underpass wildlife crossings. TxDOT and USFWS look forward to further collaborations that help protect natural Texas treasures and increase safety on our Texas roadways.Â
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