Wildlife corridors connecting fragmented elephant habitats are essential for elephant welfare, reducing human-wildlife conflict and enabling natural movement.
Habitat fragmentation causes profound welfare suffering for African elephants. Truncated migration routes prevent access to seasonal water and food sources, causing malnutrition during dry seasons. Isolated herds become trapped in degraded habitat without the ability to move to better areas. Human-elephant conflict increases when elephants cross into farmland — retaliatory killings and injuries from snares, poison, and gunshots cause tremendous suffering. Young elephants witness the deaths of family members during conflict events, causing lasting psychological trauma in this highly intelligent, socially complex species. Corridors reduce these conflicts by giving elephants safe passage, while also reconnecting social groups that have been separated by development.