No monkeying around, bridge will help rhesus macaques migrate

Design rendering of the hanging bridge. (Photo: Jiyuan government)

Two bridges are being built at a cost of 5 million yuan (US$812,321) in order to create a path for rhesus monkeys to migrate over a reservoir in Henan Province that has cut their habitat in half, Dahe.cn reported.

The report said it was the first time in China's history that bridges were being built for the sole purpose of providing a migration path for a wild animal.

Authorities in Jiyuan City said construction of the two cable-suspended bridges began in June over the Hekou Reservoir. The project will be completed in October, the report said.

Both bridges will be 1.5 meters wide and span more than 250 meters. About 150 monkeys will be able to cross at one time, according to the report.

The reservoir is in the Taihangshan National Nature Reserve and plays a significant role in controlling flooding in the Qinhe River, a tributary of the Yellow River.