Wildlife corridors link fragmented habitats, enabling animal movement, gene flow and range expansion. They reduce road mortality and support population viability for many species.
Habitat fragmentation imposes significant welfare costs on wild animals beyond population-level conservation concerns. Animals attempting to cross roads face injury and death; those isolated in habitat patches suffer from reduced foraging opportunities, increased competition, and inability to find mates. Wildlife crossing structures dramatically reduce these harms and have proven cost-effective across multiple species and continents. Corridors also facilitate range shifts in response to climate change, allowing animals to track suitable conditions. The welfare case for corridors is distinct from and complementary to the conservation case: even common species benefit from reduced road mortality and improved access to food and shelter.