Across the country, state department of transportation work crews are often called upon to step in and protect animals caught in a variety of predicaments.
[Above photo by Illinois DOT]
For example, Texas Department of Transportation crews temporarily halted construction on a $64 million expansion project in late August at the agency’s ferry operations in Port Aransas after spotting a West Indian manatee swimming in the area.
That project, which is upgrading ramps and landings for the Port Aransas ferry system, came to an immediate standstill after sighting the endangered and federally protected manatee in waters near the job site. All work paused as the manatee lingered for several hours near the ferry operations before heading west toward Corpus Christi Bay, TxDOT noted.
That work halt did not occur by happenstance as, prior to construction, TxDOT educated both agency and contractor crews about the potential presence of these large mammals and the requirement to report sightings.
“The safety of the public, our contractors, and TxDOT employees is always our top priority,” said Mike Walsh, TxDOT district engineer in Corpus Christi, noted in a statement. “But protecting wildlife near our projects is also critical.”
TxDOT noted that it has made environmental stewardship a key focus of its statewide operations, incorporating wildlife crossings for ocelots, bat houses under bridges, and other initiatives to minimize harm to native species.
That also includes providing monetary support for a variety of ecological efforts. For example, a new agreement between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and TxDOT provided funds to help restore a coastal prairie preserve at Sheldon Lake State Park in North Houston.
Meanwhile, in Idaho, what started as a regular day in August on a U.S. 95 highway jobsite turned into a wildlife rescue.
That’s when three Idaho Transportation Department employees found an injured Great Horned owl struggling in the summer heat – possibly due to the high temperatures and a damaged wing – near their work area.
After calling a bird rescue center, they carefully transported the owl to specialists for care.
Also in August, Illinois Department of Transportation highway workers rescued an abandoned kitten off Route 20 and McClean in Elgin, IL. Subsequently, a crew member from Illinois DOT’s Rodenburg maintenance yard adopted the tiny feline.
And in December 2024, a Tennessee Department of Transportation crew chanced upon an injured and abandoned dog freezing to death in a local creek.
After jury-rigging a rescue harness, the workers – with help from the Tennessee State Patrol – plucked the helpless animal from the frigid waters and transported him to a local shelter; later dropping off a load of food and care items for the shelter as well.
Happily, that once-abandoned dog – nursed back to health and given the name “Apollo” – was subsequently adopted in June of this year.
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