Pronghorn antelope undertake one of the longest overland migrations in North America, following ancient routes now threatened by fencing, roads, and development.
Pronghorn migration welfare illustrates how historical infrastructure — wire fencing installed for livestock management — creates contemporary welfare problems for wildlife that evolved before this landscape fragmentation. The welfare cost of fence barriers is visible in the documented aggregation behavior at fence lines: pronghorn waiting for passage are expending energy, experiencing predation risk, and in cold or dry conditions may be prevented from accessing critical resources by barriers to their ancient routes. The solution — fence modification — is inexpensive, technically straightforward, and benefits both pronghorn welfare and landowner relationships with wildlife. The conservation funding and federal designation of the Path of the Pronghorn demonstrates that specific, well-documented migration routes can receive meaningful protection when advocated for effectively.