How pronghorn navigate one of North America longest land migrations and the barriers threatening their ancient routes.
Pronghorn welfare is intimately connected to the integrity of their migration corridors. Unlike deer, pronghorn evolved on open plains without dense vegetation — their behavioral repertoire includes ducking under fences rather than jumping them. Standard agricultural fencing is impassable, forcing pronghorn into unnatural detours that increase energy expenditure, exposure to predation, and collision risk. Fence modification programs — particularly raising the bottom wire and using smoother wire materials — allow pronghorn to pass while maintaining livestock containment. Where corridors are severed by development, conflict and welfare harm increase. Protecting the "Path of the Pronghorn" in Wyoming is a landmark example of successful migration corridor conservation.