Wildlife

Wildlife Corridor Planning for Welfare

Wildlife corridors allow animals to move between habitat patches, reducing isolation, roadkill and the welfare costs of restricted range.

Key Facts

Habitat fragmentation restricts animal movement creating isolated populations
Isolated populations suffer inbreeding, reduced foraging range and inability to find mates
Wildlife corridors including underpasses and overpasses reduce roadkill mortality
The Yellowstone to Yukon corridor initiative is the largest connectivity project in North America

Welfare Considerations

Animals in fragmented habitat experience the welfare cost of restricted movement — reduced access to food, inability to find mates, risk of inbreeding-related health problems and the constant pressure of living in inadequate habitat. Corridors restore movement freedom and the behavioral range that wildlife needs. Individual animals that successfully use corridors experience improved welfare from access to larger ranges and populations.

What You Can Do

Support wildlife corridor projects in your region
Advocate for wildlife crossing structures in new road construction
Donate to organizations working on landscape-scale connectivity
Reduce speed on roads adjacent to wildlife corridors especially at night