California Wildlife Crossing Targets December Opening After Cougar Sightings

A major wildlife bridge spanning Highway 101 in Agoura Hills, California, is scheduled to open in December 2026, offering mountain lions and other animals a safer route between fragmented habitats. Recent camera footage has captured a female mountain lion with two older kittens, along with deer, coyotes and bobcats near the construction site, according to National Park Service biologists. The 210-foot-long, vegetation-covered Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Liberty Canyon is designed to reconnect habitats in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills.

According to officials at an October 8, 2026, project briefing, construction remains on schedule for the December opening. Jeff Sikich, a wildlife biologist with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, said cameras recorded several species in the area despite ongoing construction. The sightings demonstrate that animals continue to use habitat surrounding the future crossing.

"Just in the past three weeks, even with all this construction going on, it's amazing the amount of wildlife that is right where we're standing," said Jeff Sikich, a wildlife biologist with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Sikich also described a particularly notable sighting involving a female mountain lion and her offspring. Another mountain lion appeared on camera approximately one week later, according to his account at the briefing. "I was super excited to see this adult female mountain lion and two older kittens cruise through," said Jeff Sikich, a wildlife biologist with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Researchers have studied mountain lions in the region for decades, documenting how highways and urban development restrict their movement. Although animals approach both sides of Highway 101, few attempt to cross the heavily traveled freeway, according to the National Park Service research described at the briefing. This isolation has contributed to inbreeding, reduced genetic diversity and fatal conflicts among mountain lions. Connecting separated habitats could allow animals to move between populations, improving opportunities for genetic exchange and reducing the risks associated with isolation.

The Liberty Canyon site was selected in part because natural habitat remains on both sides of the freeway and the surrounding land is publicly owned and protected from development. The crossing is intended to restore a connection between these landscapes without requiring animals to navigate highway traffic. Monitoring will be central to evaluating the structure's effectiveness.

Officials plan to install dozens of cameras and other devices, including thermal imaging equipment, while researchers track mountain lions, mule deer, foxes, bobcats and coyotes using GPS collars. The data will help scientists identify which species use the crossing, how frequently animals travel across it and how the structure affects wildlife populations over time. The monitoring program is designed to provide evidence of whether the bridge improves movement between habitats.

Sikich also reported that biologists recently discovered a litter of three mountain lion kittens in the Simi Hills, north of the freeway. He said one of those animals could eventually use the crossing to enter the Santa Monica Mountains, potentially contributing to the area's genetic diversity.

The project has an estimated cost of $114 million, covering design, studies and construction, according to officials. Funding combines public money, private grants and donations, while the completed crossing is expected to serve as a major wildlife connection across one of Southern California's busiest freeway corridors.