Marcel Huijser Photography: Recently Added Galleries and Collections

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(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 15:57:06 GMT

Wildlife overpasses

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Wildlife overpasses, green bridges, and ecoducts all refer to structures that have been built over roads to allow wildlife to cross safely to the other side of the road. The bridges are for the animals; the animals walk over the road, and the vehicles go through the structure. Most of the structures are between 10 m (30 ft) and 60 m (180 ft) wide. They typically have soil, litter, and vegetation on top to provide suitable habitat for a range of different species and species groups. The larger structures are typically intended for large mammals ranging from ungulates (e.g. deer, elk, moose) to large carnivores (e.g. black bear, grizzly bear, Canada lynx, wolverine, wolf). Sometimes ponds are created on one or both sides of the structure to increase the attractiveness to wildlife and to stimulate the use of the overpass. It is also possible to pump water to the top of an overpass and create small streams that flow to the sides. This is particularly beneficial to amphibians. Cover, for example through a row of tree stumps, is important for invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals. Fences, screens, or berms on the sides of the overpasses not only keep animals from jumping of the structure. They also reduce light and noise disturbance, and block out the fast moving vehicles below. Combined with wildlife fencing and underpasses, wildlife overpasses can reduce collisions with large mammals by 80 to almost 100%. Numerous studies have also found that a wide range of wildlife species uses wildlife overpasses, often in high numbers. This is important as animals may need to reach the other side of the road for food or water. Crossings by certain individuals maybe almost daily as they have their home range on either side of the road. Other individuals may use crossing structures for seasonal migration or long distance dispersal. Migration over long distances is important as animals may need to reach habitat patches that are small and isolated so that they can strengthen their population viability in the region.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Badger

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>American badger (Taxidea taxus)

Bobcat

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Bobcat (Lynx rufus)

All Photographs-photos

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 18:25:20 GMT

Sharp-tailed grouse reintroduction in western Montana

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Camera trap images

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Snowy owls on the Canadian prairie

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Mining in the Gobi

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:46:00 GMT

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Wildlife fencing

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>The most important function of wildlife fencing is to keep the animals off the road and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. If the fences are designed and maintained well they can be very effective and reduce collisions by at least 80%, sometimes close to 100%. However, by definition effective fences make the road into an almost impermeable barrier in the landscape. Therefore it is considered good practice to always combine wildlife fences with safe crossing opportunities for wildlife such as underpasses, overpasses, or gaps in the fence. Gaps in fences are typically associated with warning signs, speed bumps or other speed reducing measures, cross walks painted on the road surface, or animal detection systems. If fences are combined with safe crossing opportunities, the fences not only reduce collisions, but they also help guide the animals to the locations with safe crossing opportunities. Standard wildlife fencing in North America is about 2.4 m (8 ft) high. In most cases this substantially discourages large animals from entering the fenced road corridor, but it is not necessarily an absolute barrier. To further discourage animals from jumping or climbing fences the fences can be made higher, the meshes can be made smaller, outriggers can be installed at the top of the fences, and wooden poles can be replaced by metal posts. Dig barriers are strips of fencing material that are partially buried into the soil and attached to the main fence. They discourage animals from digging under the fence. Depending on the species there are many different types of fences or screens. Amphibians require smooth plastic strips or a very fine mesh with an overhang. Medium sized species such as badgers require finer mesh than ungulates such as deer and elk. Black bears can climb fences with large mesh sizes by placing their feet in the meshes. Smaller mesh sizes and outriggers with metal wire or even barbed wire can discourage climbers such as black bears and mountain lions or Florida panthers.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Wildlife underpasses

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Wildlife underpasses include bridges, culverts, pipes, and tunnels and their dimensions vary substantially. Underpasses allow wildlife to cross safely to the other side of the road. The bridges are for the traffic; the animals walk under the road, and the vehicles go over the structure. Structures intended for large mammals are often at least 7 m (21 ft) wide and and 4-5 m (12-15 ft) high. However, if roads cross floodplains or of there are other factors involved (e.g. threatened or endangered species) bridges may be several hundred meters (several hundreds of yards) or several kilometers (several miles) long. Culverts or box culverts intended for medium sized mammals such as bobcats or coyotes may be 1.2-1.5 m (4-5 ft) in diameter. Smaller structures or pipes (e.g. 0.3-0.6 m (1-2 ft)) in diameter may be used by amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and also by some medium sized mammals. It is desirable for underpasses to have soil, litter, and cover, but the lack of light and moisture may prevent vegetation from growing. Cover can be provided by tree stumps, branches, rocks, or other materials. The openness of a structure is important; it is best if the animals can easily see the vegetation or sky on the other side of the structure when they approach. Amphibians have particular requirements for soil and air humidity. Therefore amphibian tunnels need to have soil on the bottom and an open top (e.g. grating). Some underpasses have water flow through them, but such stream or river crossings should preferably be wide enough to allow for more than just water to flow under the road. Ideally stream or river crossings are wide enough to allow for natural stream dynamics so that the water flows just like it does upstream and downstream, with similar substrate and without an increase in velocity. The latter not only leads to erosion but can also form a barrier for many aquatic species. The underpasses should be wide enough to allow for riparian as well as dry zones to accommodate semi-aquatic and terrestrial species. Wider stream or river crossings also allow for some changes in the channel (natural meandering and stream dynamics), and have reduced maintenance and failure issues (less erosion, less plugging up with debris). Combined with wildlife fencing and overpasses, wildlife underpasses can reduce collisions with large mammals by 80 to almost 100%. Numerous studies have also found that a wide range of wildlife species uses wildlife underpasses, often in high numbers. This is important as animals may need to reach the other side of the road for food or water. Crossings by certain individuals maybe almost daily as they have their home range on either side of the road. Other individuals may use crossing structures for seasonal migration or long distance dispersal. Migration over long distances is important as animals may need to reach habitat patches that are small and isolated so that they can strengthen their population viability in the region.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

US Hwy 64, North Carolina

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Bighorn sheep capture, Montana

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Multifunctional overpasses

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Multifunctional overpasses

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Desert tortoises and roads

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Lighthawk flight aerial photos US Hwy 93

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Aerial photographs of wildlife underpasses and the wildlife overpass along US Hwy 93 on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana, USA. The purpose of the flight was to make agency personnel and the general public (through reporters and media) better aware of the presence, purpose and functioning of the wildlife underpasses and overpass. This flight was made possible through the contribution of lighthawk with its volunteer pilots.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser with aerial support from LightHawk

River otter

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Bison

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Bison (Bos bison)
All content © Marcel Huijser

Wolves

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Wolf (Canis lupus)
All content © Marcel Huijser

White-tailed deer

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>White-tailed deer (Odocoileas virginianus)
All content © Marcel Huijser

Grizzly bear

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos)

Black bear

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Black bear (Ursus americanus)

Researchers at work

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Wildlife guards and gates

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>If wildlife fences are designed and maintained well they can keep wildlife out of the fenced road corridor. However, in landscapes that have substantial human presence and human activity, there are gaps in the fence where the smaller access roads connect to the fenced main road. To keep wildlife from simply walking through these gaps gates or wildlife guards can be installed. Gates can be locked or unlocked, but they require people to stop, get out of their vehicle, and then close the gate once they have passed through it. This not only disrupts traffic flow, but sometimes the gates are left open. For higher volume and higher speed access roads wildlife guards or electric mats embedded in the pavement are more appropriate. Wildlife guards are similar to cattle guards; they are designed to discourage ungulates, particularly deer and elk from walking on top of the guard and access the fenced road corridor.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Wildlife jump-outs or escape ramps

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>If wildlife fences are designed and maintained well, and if enough safe crossing opportunities are provided for at the right locations with the appropriate dimensions, relatively few animals will end up in the fenced road corridor. However, sometimes they do get caught in between the fences, and that is an accident waiting to happen. Wildlife jump-outs or escape ramps are designed to allow animals to escape from the fenced road corridor. An earthen ramp allows animals to walk up to the height of the fence, and then they can jump down to safety. Ideally jump-outs should be low enough so that animals will readily jump down to the safe side of the fence, and high enough to discourage them from jumping into the fenced road corridor. Some jump-outs have a short section of fence on top of the jump-out. This is to encourage the animals to walk up to the edge and jump down. Jump-outs or escape ramps are thought to be most effective when they are a bit further away from the road, and if some vegetation or other cover is present that blocks the view of passing vehicles.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Road-killed animals

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This web page contains photos of animals that have been hit by vehicles or are about to be hit by a vehicle. Most of the animals are shown lying dead on the road or in the right of way. Other images on this website show what can be done to reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Some of those mitigation measures are also aimed at providing safe crossing opportunities for wildlife.

Note: Some people may find images of dead animals shocking or distasteful. Click here to learn why I photograph animals hit by cars.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Animals alive on road

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This web page contains photos of animals alive on or along roads or highways. Some of the animals are foraging on the road or in the right of way, while others are in the process of crossing the road, with or without vehicles present.

Please contact me if you would like to use any of the images. All content © Marcel Huijser

Camper van on the road

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

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Great gray owl

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Great gray owl (Strix nebulosa)

Great horned owl

(Marcel Huijser Photography) — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)