Wildlife Corridors and Road Ecology

Roads fragment wildlife habitats and kill millions of animals annually, but wildlife crossing infrastructure can dramatically reduce both mortality and isolation harms.

Key Facts

An estimated 1 million vertebrates are killed on US roads every day
Wildlife crossings reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions by up to 97% in some studies
The Banff National Park crossing network in Canada has reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions by 80%
Underpasses and overpasses cost 1 to 10 million dollars each but pay back through reduced insurance claims and accidents
I-70 in Colorado is planned to have the largest wildlife crossing in North America at 70 meters wide

Welfare Considerations

Road mortality causes acute traumatic death or injury for individual animals, but the ecological fragmentation effect causes sustained welfare harm to surviving populations. Animals unable to cross roads cannot access mates, food patches, and seasonal habitats, leading to inbreeding, malnutrition, and behavioral stress in isolated populations. Mortality also severs social bonds in species with complex family structures. Wildlife corridors address both the acute mortality and the chronic isolation welfare harm simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support wildlife crossing funding in federal and state transportation bills
Drive at posted speed limits in areas with wildlife crossing warning signs
Report wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots to state transportation departments
Donate to wildlife corridor organizations like the Wildlands Network