Wildlife Crossings
Catherine Barr and Christiane Engel
Otter-BarryBooks

Human activity has an ever increasing impact upon the natural environment. Deforestation, agricultural expansion and urban development all have adverse consequences for the animals with whom we share our planet. This book looks at some examples of how this disruption is being ameliorated by taking positive action.
Catherine Barr allows readers to track the journeys of seven animals in different parts of the world and discover how ‘wildlife corridors’, together with education programs, are enabling precious wild creatures to survive. The first destination is India, in particular an area where the ancient paths elephants follow to find food and water are blocked by roads and railway tracks, so in order to facilitate their migration, elephant wildlife corridors have been created. Solar powered electric fences help keep the elephants out of crops that are important for the local village people who inform one another when the elephants are on the move.

UK readers may be aware of the disastrous decline in the hedgehog population but thanks to the work of the the UK Hedgehog Street campaign especially, Hedgehog Highways, people have been encouraged to leave holes in their fences to allow hedgehogs safe free passage as well as to create hedgehog friendly spaces in their gardens.

Bird migration flyways around the world with wetland stopovers, aerial bridges to help gibbons across forest gaps in China, fish ladders for migrating salmon to pass dams and weirs,

bear bridges across busy highways in Canada and cougar crossings in the USA are the other examples featured. Each one is allocated two double spreads where Catherine’s words are integrated into Christiane Engel’s detailed scenes of each location, one presenting the problems the second, how they are being solved. A final spread gives brief illustrated paragraphs about seven other animals whose ancient paths have been disrupted.

A book to raise awareness among children who one hopes, will find ways to support the vital work being done. Highly recommended for primary school collections.