Source : The Star, Malaysia, 03 Apr 2007
By : Hilary Chiew
  

	The design of this bridge at Sungai Kembur allows wildlife to move around without the risk of being knocked down by vehicles. – Picture courtesy of Public Works Department

The viaducts are part of what is called the ‘eco-bridge’ spanning three valleys at Sungai Kelempai, Sungai Kembur and Sungai Purun between Felda Aring in south-east Kelantan and Pasir Pulau in the Tasik Kenyir region of Terengganu.

Located within the 50km stretch known as Package 6 of the 313km Simpang Pulai-Kuala Berang road, the viaducts will provide an artificial crossing for large mammals in the forested area north of the Taman Negara boundaries.

The Sungai Kelempai and Sungai Purun bridges, both measuring 245m, and the 140m Sungai Kembur bridge, are all in the advanced stage of construction.

Scheduled to be opened by year-end, the Simpang Pulai-Kuala Berang road bisects a critical animal movement corridor that connects Taman Negara with adjacent forested land. By reconnecting the fragmented landscape, the viaducts will restore the migration corridor for large animals, giving them a wider home range. It is feared that physical barriers such as roads may confine animal populations to a smaller area and lead to in-breeding.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) had insisted on the viaducts along the narrowest strip of wildlife corridor regardless of the costs to the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Economic Planning Unit, the project executor and project proponent, respectively. The viaducts cost an additional RM27mi or 7% of the RM316mil bill for Package 6.

Perhilitan had recommended that viaducts be built to cater to mammals like elephants, bears, tapirs, tigers and wild boars and primates like gibbons and siamangs.

It is learnt that the Environmental Impact Assessment’s (EIA) consultant had initially recommended the construction of fences and trenches to keep animals at bay. Perhilitan also called for realignment of the road further away from the Taman Negara boundaries to prevent easy access for poachers into protected areas.

It appears that Perhilitan has had enough of displaced wildlife problems from poorly planned development. Animal sightings occur frequently on roads bordering wild areas, such as along the East-West Highway. If the animals escape from being runned over by vehicles, they end up being trapped and relocated, such as usually done for elephants. However, until press time, Perhilitan has not given an interview on the viaduct project.

Model for future projects

PWD special project unit chief senior assistant director Zulkefli Ahmad recalled that the inclusion of the animal crossings into the design of the road took a bit of convincing on the part of the EPU. “It was quite an experience arguing for the viaducts. We were laughed at when we presented the idea of a sort of highway for animals besides the highway for motorists.”

He said extra attention was paid to this road segment as the area was recognised as an ‘Environmentally Sensitive Area’ in the National Physical Plan.

Zulkefli said the project would serve as a model for future road developments where wildlife habitats would be affected. He said the approach from the jungle to the viaducts would be landscaped with local plants so that it blends with the surroundings.

Little is known about the impact of roads on wildlife here but incidents of road-kill, a term referring to animals that are knocked down by vehicles, are well documented in developed countries.

In the United States, millions of animals are rolled over by vehicles each year. Deer, squirrels, skunks and chipmunks are the most common victims. The toll also includes reptiles, amphibians, birds and rare species such as grizzly bears, wolves and lynxes.

To protect wildlife, structures such as overpasses, underpasses, tunnels and viaducts are built in many Western countries to provide safe crossings for animals and reconnect fragmented habitats.

In some cases, these crossings play a crucial role in protecting endangered species. The more than 600 tunnels installed under roads in the Netherlands have helped to increase populations of the endangered European badger.

While it is premature to gauge the effectiveness of the viaducts along the Simpang Pulai-Kuala Berang road, the conservation community has praised the far-sightedness of the plan.

Wildlife biologist Dr Kae Kawanishi who studied the tiger population in Taman Negara, is relieved that the road had been realigned 15km away from park boundaries.

“Given the fact that wildlife is the least of concerns to developers, building the three viaducts for the purpose of safe wildlife crossing exemplifies the government’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.”

She said ill-planned land use could be detrimental to wildlife and people, citing the Grik-Jeli highway that cuts across a major wildlife habitat as an example. There is high mortality of large mammals on that road and collisions with large animals pose a great risk to motorists. Elephants coming out of the disturbed habitat to feed in plantations are causing havoc.

“It is the wildlife and local people that suffer from the poor planning,” said Kawanishi.

Echoing her views is tiger conservationist Dr John Seidensticker: “For landscape species such as tigers and elephants, it is essential to reduce the risk to the animals and people. It also makes it possible for wildlife and people to co-exist in the same landscape.”