THE DAILY WIRE · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA · 2026-10-07
Wildlife Crossing Opens Early for One Bear Who Did Not Wait for the Ribbon
Northern California's newest wildlife crossing has recorded its first confirmed user — a bear — and the animal arrived before anyone cut the ribbon, which this reporter considers either an encouraging sign of demand or a minor breach of protocol, depending on your view of infrastructure etiquette.
The crossing, built specifically to let animals cross busy roadways without becoming a traffic statistic, was apparently too good to wait for. Camera footage reportedly captured the bear using the structure ahead of its official public debut, a detail officials are treating as a win rather than a scandal.
Webster finds it difficult to fault the bear for impatience. Government ribbon-cuttings move slowly; bears, evidently, do not wait on ceremony when there's a perfectly good overpass sitting right there unused.
This reporter sought comment from Slick, a banana slug who has logged considerably more road-crossing attempts, at considerably less speed, along the same corridor. Their account of the crossing's true opening timeline differs sharply from the bear's apparent victory lap.
Local wildlife officials say the early sighting bodes well for the crossing's long-term use. Webster notes that if a bear can beat the grand opening, the grand opening may have been scheduled a little too conservatively to begin with.
“I've been trying to cross that same stretch of highway since spring and that bear just strolls over the finish line before the ribbon's even cut. Typical — give a mammal four legs and he thinks he owns the timeline, meanwhile I've been doing this at my own pace for weeks and nobody's throwing me a grand opening.” — Slick, NorCal banana slug
Open this column on the Daily Wire →
Zoos News — Real News. Real Animals. The stories are real; the columnist has eight eyes. Home · Wire archive