The Casa Diablo herd of mule deer call the Eastern Sierra Nevada home. They’re migrants. In the spring, after the snow melts, the herd seeks refuge from summertime heat in the high elevations of the mountains. But come fall, the herd moves back down to the high desert to escape the deep snowfall that the Sierra Nevada is famous for.
U.S. Route 395 cuts a straight line through the herd’s traditional migration route. Every year, as they travel from the mountains to the desert, they have to cross the highway, dodging cars and semitrucks zooming by at speeds upward of 70 or 80 mph. Vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of mortality for the herd.
For more about Wildlife Crossings, visit wildlifecrossingfund.org
