Wildlife crossings - underpasses, overpasses, and culverts - reduce road mortality and habitat fragmentation, providing significant welfare benefits for wildlife.
Road mortality is one of the largest sources of preventable wildlife welfare harm globally. Animals killed on roads experience immediate trauma, but the larger welfare picture includes the ongoing fragmentation of populations that prevents individuals from meeting mates, accessing food patches, and moving between seasonal habitats. Wildlife crossings address both the immediate mortality welfare harm and the longer-term population fragmentation welfare consequence. The evidence for crossing effectiveness is strong - where well-designed crossings with appropriate fencing are installed, wildlife mortality drops dramatically. Infrastructure investment in wildlife crossings represents a high-value welfare intervention with lasting population benefits.