Wildlife Corridor Design for Animal Movement Safety

Wildlife corridors connecting fragmented habitat patches enable animal movement for food, mates, and seasonal migration while reducing road mortality and genetic isolation.

Key Facts

Road networks fragment wildlife habitat on every continent, affecting billions of animals
Wildlife crossings reduce road mortality by 85-95% for target species where implemented
The US has over 21 wildlife crossing projects underway or recently completed on major highways
Genetic isolation from habitat fragmentation reduces population resilience over generations
Corridor design requires species-specific knowledge of movement behaviors and habitat needs

Welfare Considerations

Habitat fragmentation imposes welfare costs through multiple pathways: road mortality, inability to access resources, behavioral restriction, and genetic bottlenecks. Animals attempting to cross roads face injury and death. Those unable to cross may be trapped in shrinking habitat patches with inadequate food, mates, or shelter. Wildlife corridors directly reduce these welfare harms by enabling natural movement patterns. The welfare benefit of well-designed corridors extends across entire regional populations, making them among the highest-leverage interventions available for wildlife welfare.

What You Can Do

Support funding for wildlife corridor and crossing projects in your region
Advocate for wildlife-friendly road design standards in infrastructure planning
Slow down in wildlife crossing areas and at dawn and dusk when animals are most active
Learn about local wildlife movement patterns and support habitat connectivity initiatives