Wildlife

Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure

Roads fragment habitat and kill billions of animals annually; wildlife crossings dramatically reduce both mortality and isolation.

Key Facts

Roads and vehicles kill an estimated 1-2 million vertebrates daily in the US alone
Habitat fragmentation by roads prevents gene flow and speeds population decline
Wildlife overpasses and underpasses reduce wildlife mortality by over 80% where installed
The Banff wildlife corridor in Canada has seen wolf, cougar, and bear populations recover
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in California is the world's largest, spanning a 10-lane highway

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality represents one of the largest sources of individual animal deaths caused by human infrastructure. Beyond direct mortality, roads create chronic stress in animals navigating fragmented habitats, increase predation risk during crossings, and separate populations that evolved in connected landscapes. Wildlife crossings address both individual welfare and population-level conservation simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support federal and state funding for wildlife crossing infrastructure
Advocate for wildlife crossing requirements in highway expansion projects
Reduce driving speed in wildlife crossing zones and at dawn and dusk
Support organizations like the Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Donate to campaigns for specific crossing projects in your region