Wildlife Corridors and Human-Wildlife Coexistence

Wildlife corridors — strips of habitat connecting fragmented patches — are increasingly recognised as essential infrastructure for animal welfare and conservation, enabling movement, gene flow, and access to seasonal resources.

Key Facts

Habitat fragmentation affects over 70% of remaining forest globally, isolating wildlife populations and increasing the costs of movement
Animals attempting to cross roads, farms, and urban areas between habitat patches face high mortality risk — roads kill an estimated 1.3 million vertebrates per day in the US alone
Wildlife overpasses and underpasses have demonstrated effectiveness for large mammals including mountain lions, wolves, and bears in multiple study systems
The Banff Wildlife Crossings Project in Canada showed a 80% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions after 38 crossing structures were installed
Corridors are not only for flagship species — smaller animals including reptiles, invertebrates, and small mammals also benefit substantially from connected habitats
Climate change increases the importance of corridors as species need to track shifting thermal zones across landscapes
Green roofs, garden connectivity initiatives, and urban hedgerow networks can form effective small-mammal and insect corridors in cities

Welfare Considerations

Wildlife corridors address a fundamental welfare need: the ability to move safely through a landscape to access food, mates, water, and seasonal habitat. Animals trapped in habitat fragments may face slow starvation as local resources are depleted, inability to find mates leading to inbreeding and developmental abnormalities, and the acute welfare harm of road collision when attempting to cross barrier infrastructure. Corridor connectivity therefore directly reduces chronic suffering in isolated populations. Beyond preventing harm, corridors enable positive welfare experiences — the ability to range, explore, and engage in natural behaviours across a landscape — that may be intrinsically valuable to animals with rich cognitive and emotional lives.

What You Can Do

Support local wildlife corridor initiatives by allowing garden hedgerows, log piles, and pond features that enable small animal movement
Advocate for wildlife crossing infrastructure in road development planning in your area
Support land trusts and conservation organisations that purchase strategic corridor lands
Participate in citizen science projects monitoring wildlife movement through corridors
Drive carefully at dawn and dusk when wildlife movement across roads is highest
Contact your elected representatives to support green infrastructure funding that includes wildlife connectivity