Animal territories are shrinking

Wild animals have less and less space to live

Today’s Helsingin Sanomat reported on a new extensive study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The findings are alarming: wild animals now have significantly less space to live, and their daily lives are becoming increasingly difficult.

Human activity and expanding infrastructure force many species to travel up to twice as far to find food, shelter, or mating partners compared to animals living in undisturbed habitats. In many cases, the overall size of animal territories has declined dramatically.

Some species do benefit from human-altered landscapes, but the study makes one thing clear: human actions have a profound effect on wildlife. As environments continue to change, the needs of wild animals must be taken more seriously in planning and conservation.