Looking to travel to Europe and see some amazing wildlife? Then you need to check out the Wildlife Crossing in Wierden, Netherlands!

How many of you have seen wildlife in Europe? If you’re like me, the answer to that question is not very many (unless you’re talking about the wildlife I saw when I was in London and Paris). That’s why I was so excited to visit the Wierden Wildlife Crossing in Holland! This structure allows animals such as frogs, newts, turtles, birds, squirrels, and hares to safely cross the road without being hurt by speeding cars. In this article, I will tell you more about this remarkable piece of technology and provide some pictures and videos of the animals in action!

Today’s animal spotlight
I am always on the lookout for different animals I can photograph while I’m traveling. One of my favorite places to spot them is during a trip to Zoo de Beekse Bergen in Wierden, Netherlands. This awesome zoo not only houses a huge variety of animal species including zebras, pandas, tigers and bears (to name just a few) but it also includes a wildlife crossing too!

How Did This Happen?
Wierden is a small town that's home to 1,280 people. But unlike most other towns, it also has a remarkable wildlife crossing. The crossing is a pedestrian bridge over railway tracks that are frequently used by trains. At least once an hour you'll see animals that have come down from the forest to search for food. This includes squirrels, bats, deer and even wolves on occasion!

Interesting Facts About The Wildlife Crossing
Europe is home to many diverse populations of wildlife that can often find themselves in direct competition with humans. To address this issue, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment installed a series of bridges at key points across their country in order to improve on animal traffic flow. One such bridge has been constructed near Wierden over an existing stretch of freeway that allows for an uninterrupted cross for wild animals.

Best Time to Visit Wildlife Crossings
Wildlife crossings are designed to reduce roadkill as many animals cross during dusk or dawn when there is little lighting. This means that you should make your best attempt to visit a crossing around this time of day. They can be found at various times throughout the year so it's not always easy to know what's best.

Other Amazing Animal Crossings Around The World
Weird as it may sound, these are also animal crossings. The animals might not be looking for protection from a nearby highway (though I'm sure that's helped), but there are a few other reasons for these underpasses. In Australia, for example, the endangered kangaroo has been hopping into towns where they can't get prey. They used to die off because their predators followed them in the cities.

My visit to the wildlife crossing in Wierden, Netherlands
After making a spontaneous decision to visit Europe on an impromptu backpacking trip my partner and I were looking for something interesting to do with our days while waiting for our train. We stumbled upon the European Wildlife crossing project when we stopped at a nearby grocery store. It turned out that it was only a 20 minute drive from where we were staying. The best part about this cross country project is that it is actually funded by tolls paid by drivers on one of their busiest highways so there is no cost for visitors!