Outside/In: Why did the road cross the chicken?

For humans, roads epitomize freedom. For wildlife, it’s a different story: 1 million animals are killed by cars every day in the U.S. alone.

How did our infrastructure turn so deadly? And what are people trying to do about it?

In this episode, we look at how two very different species are impacted by roads. Along the way, we visit a turtle rescue clinic, hear about a celebrity cougar that was trapped in the Hollywood Hills, and find out what it took to fund what will soon be the world’s largest wildlife bridge.

Featuring Ben Goldfarb, Alexxia Bell, Natasha Nowick, and Michaela Conder.

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"Car turns turtle, injuring 3" read the headline after this 1922 accident. Drivers often didn't understand that taking corners at high speed would have dire consequences.

Library of Congress

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Children played in the streets, and were often struck by cars. Above, boys play "shinny," a form of street hockey, on a Detroit street, circa 1910.

The Detroit News Archives

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After World War I, as accidents continued to soar, drivers were being labeled in newspapers as "remorseless murderers," their danger to public safety likened to a disease epidemic.

Library Of Congress

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Lafayette at Third Street badly needs a traffic light in 1928.

Detroit News Archives

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An early car is mired in the mud. Woodward Avenue between Six and Seven Mile became the first mile of concrete highway in the world in 1909.

The Detroit Publishing Co.

Felix Poon

Felix Poon

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LINKS

From bears to badgers, and crocodiles in Florida to salamanders in Vermont – check out these videos of wildlife crossings in action across the country. (NYTimes)

Check out Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, by Ben Goldfarb.

Read more about The Turtle Rescue League in Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell, by Sy Montgomery.

Engross yourself in the stories of the National Park Service’s Puma Profiles of the Santa Monica Mountains.

CREDITS

Host: Nate Hegyi
Reported, produced, and mixed by Felix Poon.
Edited by Taylor Quimby.
Our team also includes Justine Paradis.
Rebecca Lavoie is our Executive Producer.
Music for this episode by Jay Varton, Rand Aldo, and Blue Dot Sessions.
Theme music by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Outside/In is a production of New Hampshire Public Radio.