Roads kill millions of wild animals annually through direct strikes and habitat fragmentation. Evidence-based solutions dramatically reduce this toll while improving wildlife connectivity.
Road-struck animals who are not immediately killed suffer hours of pain from internal injuries, broken bones, and hemorrhage before dying or being found. Young animals orphaned by road mortality may starve or be predated before help arrives. Habitat fragmentation from roads prevents natural movement, reducing genetic diversity and increasing competition in isolated populations. Wildlife underpasses, overpasses, and fencing that guides animals to safe crossing points have been shown to dramatically reduce mortality in carefully designed implementations.