Pronghorns undertake the longest land migration in the lower 48 US states, but their ancient routes are increasingly blocked by agricultural fencing that causes injury, exhaustion, and death.
Pronghorns encountering impassable fences during migration face exhaustion from route detours, dehydration from delayed access to water, and injury from barbed wire entanglement. Animals trapped between fences or forced onto roads face vehicle collision risk. Simple and inexpensive fence modifications — raising the lowest strand or replacing barbed wire with smooth wire — allow pronghorns to slide under safely, removing a significant welfare barrier at minimal cost to ranchers.