Wildlife corridors are a way of connecting fragmented habitats.
What is a habitat?
A habitat is a geographical area where an animal lives. It contains everything the animal needs to survive – the right weather, an abundance of prey (food), enough water and potential mates (the ability to reproduce).
Wild cat habitats include deserts, grasslands, wetlands, waterways, areas with bushes (shrubland), forests, and mountain ranges.
A wild cat’s habitat can extend for hundreds of miles.
Habitat fragmentation
Roads, cities, dams, and other structures can fragment (separate) habitats, decreasing their size and isolating one part of the habitat from another. Natural reasons for habitat fragmentation, like fire and volcanic activity, can also exist.
Habitat fragmentation makes it more difficult for animals and other organisms living in the area to survive. According to one study, it is also the primary reason for the destruction of natural ecosystems, in some cases by as much as 75%. (Science.org – Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems 2015)
Many wild cat populations are declining because their habitat has become fragmented.
What is a wildlife corridor?
A wildlife corridor is a passageway connecting two or more fragmented habitats. Some wildlife corridors occur naturally, while others are created by humans.
Wildlife corridors can make it easier for animals to:
- Safely cross roads
- find food and water
- Mate and reproduce
- Escape from predators
- Find shelter
Creating and maintaining wildlife corridors is a way of preserving and protecting wildlife, ecosystems (communities of living things like animals, plants and organisms) and biodiversity (variety of life).
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