Anteaters & Highways II: Human, Political, and Institutional Dimensions to Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions

The giant anteater is one of South America’s most iconic species. However, this species’ range in Brazil is intersected by numerous highways and Wildlife Vehicle Collisions (WVC) are becoming a serious threat for both wildlife and people.

This project is the continuation of the successful first phase of Anteaters & Highways funded by Fondation Segré from 2017 to the end of 2020. The main goal of the phase I was to quantify the main impacts of roads on giant anteater movement, behaviour and mortality risk as well as to understand the sociological aspects of human-anteater relations.

Fondation Segré’s renewed contribution will support a new phase of the project that will focus on the human, political, and institutional dimensions of wildlife collisions. It is hoped that the project will reduce the number collisions by engaging authorities, road users (and in particular truck companies and drivers), highway workers and society at large. The project partners will also implement landscape and road management actions, as well as educational activities to disseminate key ecological information and influence decision making to better conserve giant anteater populations.

You can read more about our support to the Phase I of the project HERE.