Wildlife Corridors
From the air, Namibia is a maze of paths. Some start as wide “animal highways” and merge into a single track before trailing off into dust, while others are long and deep, etching a path that crosses rivers, borders and memories.
Animals use corridors for a variety of reasons: elephants traverse shorter paths between grazing lands and water, while using longer paths between their wet and dry season home ranges. Large carnivores also tend to use well-worn paths while patrolling their territories. Wildlife moves through landscapes that often have growing human populations. As lands continue to be set aside for settlements, crop production and livestock keeping, it becomes increasingly important to secure “corridors” that form vital natural habitat linkages between larger conservation areas. This connectivity allows wildlife to move between secure habitats and reduces the level of human-wildlife conflict.
To maintain the integrity of corridors, conservancy members do not allow settlements to be established inside corridors, nor do they allow for crops to be planted alongside or inside corridors.
Verification of corridor integrity is conducted through ground truthing, camera traps and satellite imagery.
The Wildlife Corridor product is a key habitat integrity product, with proven benefits and results for people and the planet.
