Tortoise is the First to Use Oracle Road Wildlife Crossing

Construction workers building the new Oracle Road wildlife crossing in Oro Valley, Arizona were amazed to see that a Sonoran desert tortoise was already making his way through the crossing before the structure had even been built!

Jesse Espinoza was working on the wildlife crossing underpass when he noticed the tortoise travelling west through the crossing. As the site is still an active construction site, Jesse ensured that the tortoise made his way safely through the crossing to the other side before taking this picture.

The Sonoran desert tortoise, which has a lifespan between 50-80 years, is currently listed as vulnerable and Arizona law prohibits any removal of this species of tortoise from the wild. The tortoise has many natural predators and many human initiatives such as solar farms are threatening their survival.

As desert tortoises spend the majority of their lives in burrows to escape the heat, this was a very rare and special sighting for those who were working that day!

We believe that this a good sign that many animals will continue to use the crossing (once it’s completely finished)!

Thanks to Jesse who ensured that the tortoise made it through safely!

Read more about the story and the crossing here.

To ensure other animals get the same opportunity, please do sign our alert for a mountain lion (and other wildlife) crossing in Liberty Canyon, California if you have not already done so here.