Pronghorn are North America fastest land mammals but cannot jump fences. Fence modification programs are improving landscape connectivity and migration success.
Fencing represents a pervasive but solvable welfare and conservation challenge for pronghorn across the American West. Animals unable to cross barriers during drought or winter events face starvation and dehydration. Fence entanglement causes painful injuries and mortality. The good news is that relatively simple fence modifications — smooth wire on the top strand, raising the bottom strand, or installing wildlife-friendly designs — enable pronghorn passage at low cost. Ranchers, state agencies, and conservation organizations are increasingly collaborating on fence modification programs that maintain livestock containment while restoring pronghorn movement. Monitoring pronghorn migration routes with GPS collars has identified bottlenecks requiring priority modification. Connecting landscapes across state and private land boundaries requires sustained coordination and incentive programs for participating landowners.