BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 22, 2025
In Maine, the odds of a driver hitting an animal are 1 in 83. From large passages under roads to small ones for turtles and snakes, Maine is quietly embracing methods long used in the western U.S. to divert animals around high-strike roads and areas reshaped by development. Not visible to drivers, there are at least six such passages built or planned in Aroostook County. So far, they seem to be minimizing animal fatalities, human injuries and vehicle damage. “Anything that can keep wildlife off the roads that our people are using is very much appreciated,” said Penny Thompson, city manager of Caribou.