{
  "id": 14879754,
  "title": "Building bridges for India’s wildlife",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/building-bridges-for-indias-wildlife",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T05:34:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/building-bridges-for-indias-wildlife/article71582783.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India has constructed the world's longest animal overpass—a nearly one-kilometre bridge—that spans a highway, a railway yard, and a golf course. As traffic congestion increases, wildlife corridors like this are crucial for maintaining healthy populations. The Hoolock gibbon is native to Northeast India, with both western and eastern populations experiencing a 90% decline in the last few decades due to habitat fragmentation. These gibbons primarily inhabit the canopy, making them highly susceptible to road and rail infrastructure obstructions. The Hoollangapar Gibbon Sanctuary, home to roughly 130 western hoolock gibbons, is one such fragmented population. To address this issue, conservationists have employed innovative methods such as grooved tree bridges and gantry structures to facilitate safe crossings between isolated gibbon communities. Globally, other endangered species like the lion-tailed macaque, slow loris, and three-toed sloth have also faced similar fragmentation challenges.",
  "summary": "This country has an animal overpass that is nearly a kilometre long and spans a highway, a rail yard, and a golf course. Our increasingly busy highways surely need such facilitators for our wildlife",
  "key_points": [
    "World's longest animal overpass spans highway, railway, and golf course",
    "Hoolock gibbon population in Northeast India has declined 90% in recent decades",
    "Innovative grooved tree bridges and gantry structures facilitate gibbon crossings"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Large-scale infrastructure projects now require specialized crossings to reconnect isolated animal populations and prevent further habitat fragmentation from driving endangered species toward extinction.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
        "title": "Building bridges for India’s wildlife",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/building-bridges-for-indias-wildlife-14883620",
        "published": "2026-10-16T05:34:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}