# National boarder walls and animal habitats and migrations **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 13, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360 "2018-04-13T18:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/1 "2018-04-13T18:25:55Z")
Inspired by the Wall Trump wants us to build, but not limited to that. What is the expected effect on wildlife and what has been the effect of other projects? Did the great wall of China cause or suspected to cause any disruptions? Any other such walls? The rabbit proof fence? I would really like to know about the environmental impact of such a projects and if any hardships are suffered by wildlife. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/2 "2018-04-13T18:47:14Z")
MEXICO CITY – [**A study by Mexico’s top university**](http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/10/experts-warn-800-species-many-endangered-affected-by-border-wall.html) has revealed that at least 800 species of wildlife will be adversely affected by President Trump’s planned 2,000-mile border wall with Mexico. Research published by ecologists from the Mexican National Autonomous University has shown that an impassable physical barrier placed into ecosystems inhabited by jaguars, black bears and bighorn sheep will so disrupt patterns of migration as to cause a “natural catastrophe.” ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/3 "2018-04-13T19:31:17Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > will so disrupt patterns of migration To be fair, that _is_ the stated purpose of building the thing in the first place. Why we think it’s hunky dory to disrupt human migration but become outraged when the same methods disrupt animal migration is beyond me. Are people not worth more than animals? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/4 "2018-04-13T20:03:21Z")
[Here](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-04/ecologist-questions-environmental-value-of-dingo-fence/9393380) is a good article on the environmental impact of the Australian dingo fence. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/5 "2018-04-13T20:13:51Z")
> **[The ecological disaster that is Trump’s border wall: a visual guide](https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/4/10/14471304/trump-border-wall-animals)** > > New sections of wall will cut through a Texas wildlife refuge and the habitat of beautiful cats. > [@](#): > > Cutting off animal populations in this fashion leads to reduced gene flow and inbreeding — leading to a greater risk of extinction. > > Conservation groups are particularly worried about the Mexican gray wolf; in 2016, there were just 113 in the US and about three dozen south of the border. A wall between them could make the recovery of the population unsurmountable. Of course, Trump couldn’t care less about other Mexican critters… ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/6 "2018-04-13T20:36:36Z")
My uncle had a Mexican boarder once. That guy did tend to put up a wall when you tried to talk to him. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-boarder-walls-and-animal-habitats-and-migrations/812360/7 "2018-04-13T20:58:25Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > To be fair, that _is_ the stated purpose of building the thing in the first place. Why we think it’s hunky dory to disrupt human migration but become outraged when the same methods disrupt animal migration is beyond me. Are people not worth more than animals? I don’t think it’s that the environmentalists are OK with the human aspect of the wall, but rather, that they are bringing this up as an additional reason not to build the wall. Bullet-pointing as many reasons against it as possible.