Wildlife crossing structures — overpasses, underpasses, and culverts — provide safe passage for animals across road barriers, reducing mortality, genetic isolation, and individual animal suffering at scale.
Key Facts
Wildlife crossings have been shown to reduce road mortality by 80 to 90% for target species where installed
The Banff National Park wildlife crossing system is the most studied in the world and serves over 30 vertebrate species
Wildlife-vehicle collisions cause significant human injuries and vehicle damage, creating economic justification for crossings
Connectivity through crossings allows gene flow that maintains population genetic diversity
Underpasses with appropriate fencing guide animals toward crossings rather than across open road
The cost of wildlife crossings is typically recovered within a decade through reduced collision costs
Welfare Considerations
Wildlife crossings are one of the most welfare-effective infrastructure investments available in transportation systems. They reduce individual animal road mortality — preventing the acute suffering of vehicle collisions and the delayed deaths of injured animals — while simultaneously maintaining population-level genetic health. The cost-benefit case is robust: crossings pay for themselves through reduced collision costs, and the welfare benefits for the millions of animals that safely cross each year are substantial. The barrier is political will and infrastructure planning that considers wildlife connectivity as a design requirement rather than an add-on.
What You Can Do
Support wildlife crossing funding in transportation infrastructure budgets
Advocate for wildlife connectivity as a required consideration in environmental impact assessments for roads
Donate to organizations working on wildlife crossing placement and design research
Drive attentively in dawn and dusk periods when animals are most active near roads
Support local road safety programs that identify and mitigate wildlife mortality hotspots