Pronghorn Welfare and Conservation

Pronghorns are North America's fastest land animal and a unique evolutionary survivor. Their welfare is threatened by fencing, habitat fragmentation, and climate change.

Key Facts

Pronghorns can run at 95 km/h — the second-fastest land animal on Earth
They evolved their speed in response to extinct predators including American cheetahs
Unlike deer, pronghorns cannot jump fences, making agricultural fencing a major barrier
Their migration routes up to 300 km are among the longest in North America
Pronghorn populations have declined from 35 million to under 1 million since European settlement
They have the largest eyes relative to body size of any North American ungulate

Welfare Considerations

Pronghorns face welfare challenges at the intersection of conservation and land use. Barbed wire fencing causes physical injury and blocks seasonal migrations to water and food. Climate change is altering the timing of vegetation growth relative to pronghorn movement, creating nutritional mismatches. Wildlife crossing structures and fence modifications with bottom rails raised to allow pronghorn crawling dramatically reduce mortality and maintain population connectivity. Their welfare as free-ranging wildlife depends on landscape-scale management decisions.

What You Can Do

Support wildlife corridor initiatives in the American West that facilitate pronghorn migration
Advocate for fence modification programs that raise bottom wires to allow pronghorn passage
Donate to organizations mapping and protecting pronghorn migration routes
Choose meat and agricultural products from producers that implement wildlife-friendly fencing