Habitat loss

As more habitats are destroyed or fragmented by factory farming, deforestation for animal feed, and even wildlife farming, we are edging closer to a biodiversity collapse. This ongoing destruction drives the decline of countless species and damages the natural systems that animals and people depend on.

At World Animal Protection, we’re working to end habitat destruction and animal cruelty by putting a stop to factory farming and exploitation of wild animals, which are major contributors to habitat loss.

What causes habitat loss?

Habitat loss and destruction are primarily driven by human activity. From factory farming to urban expansion and commercial exploitation of wildlife, the ways we use land are putting animals and ecosystems at serious risk.

Deforestation for factory farming and animal feed

Factory farming is fuelling deforestation for animal feed and livestock grazing. This is a huge problem in the Amazon, where JBS and industrial meat production are clearing land at a startling rate, displacing over 10,000 species.

Commercial wildlife farming

Wildlife farming — breeding wild animals for profit — also contributes to habitat degradation. These operations often require wild-caught breeding stock, encourage wildlife trade, and place unnatural pressure on ecosystems. This industry is expanding in Asia and Africa and represents a growing threat to biodiversity and ethical wildlife protection.

Urban development & infrastructure

As populations increase, so does the need for urban development and infrastructure. Cities, roads, and unsustainable tourism are expanding into wild areas, leading to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation.

Extractive industries

Other causes of habitat loss and habitat degradation include mining, logging, oil exploration, and large-scale agriculture. These extractive activities make natural habitats unlivable for wildlife.

How habitat destruction affects animals — and us

The examples of habitat destruction above affect wildlife, our planet, and us as human beings. Habitat loss is a crisis of animal cruelty and ecological breakdown.

Habitat destruction leads to:

• Increased human-wildlife conflict: As wildlife habitats shrink and urban environments grow, humans and wildlife come into closer contact, rising instances of human-wildlife conflict.
• Biodiversity loss: As habitats are lost or fragmented, wildlife species struggle to survive and are put at greater risk of extinction.
• Climate change: Factory farming creates 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is fuelling climate change.
• Displacement and starvation: Animals affected by habitat loss are displaced from their homes, unable to find food and water.
  

The most endangered habitats in the world are found in the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and African savannahs.

In the Amazon, deforestation and illegal land use are destroying habitats critical for jaguars, maned wolves, and South American tapirs. Similarly, Southeast Asia’s forests are being rapidly cleared for palm oil plantations, pushing orangutans, elephants, and tigers closer to extinction. Land degradation in the African savannahs also threatens iconic species like lions and giraffes.

In some regions, the rise of wildlife farming adds further pressure on habitats. These commercial operations not only exploit animals in confinement but also drive land-use change, disrupt local ecosystems, and fuel demand for wild species.

This habitat degradation further accelerates climate change, which in turn puts even more pressure on wildlife. By fighting to stop factory farming and the exploitation of wild animals, we help to protect these habitats and the animals that call them home.

Solutions: Protecting and restoring habitats

Protecting and restoring habitats can prevent habitat loss. This benefits wildlife and biodiversity and helps combat climate change, too.

Here are some solutions that help to combat habitat loss. 

Legal protections and environmental policy

We can protect habitats from factory farming by highlighting the impact of habitat loss and encouraging policymakers to pass environmental protections. 

Indigenous land rights and rewilding projects

Indigenous communities often have invaluable ecological knowledge and a deep connection to the land. Seeking their involvement in rewilding initiatives is a great way to ensure ecological restoration.

Exposing industrial players

We can exert consumer power by exposing the companies involved in factory farming. This means highlighting the actions of industrial meat production companies like JBS and banks like Barclays that fund their environment-destroying activities.

Championing food system alternatives

We’re campaigning for plant-based food system alternatives at World Animal Protection and have contributed to the Just Food Transition Roadmap, a blueprint for equitable, humane, and sustainable food systems.

Ending the exploitation of wild animals

Commercial wildlife farming is a growing but overlooked driver of habitat degradation. At World Animal Protection, we’re calling for a global phase-out of wildlife farming. Ending the exploitation of wild animals helps protect species, reduce ecosystem disruption, and prevent land use from being diverted away from conservation and rewilding efforts.

White-tufted marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) close to the Cerrado. One of many wildlife affected by the changes in the landscape. Credit: World Animal Protection/Réporter Brasil/Fernando Martinho

What you can do

Everyone can make a difference. Here are some things you can do to join the fight against habitat loss.

• Eat fewer animal products: Eating less meat and fewer dairy products reduces the demand for industrially-farmed animals, and so the amount of land cleared to grow animal feed. If you do choose to eat animal products, ensure they come from farms committed to animal welfare.
• Choose plant-based solutions to protect habitats: Plant-based foods are less harmful to wildlife and habitats. They require less land, water, and energy to produce, so their carbon footprint is much smaller.
• Be a responsible tourist and conscious consumer: Avoid buying exotic pets or products made from wild animals (like ivory, fur, or traditional medicines), and don’t support attractions that exploit wild animals for entertainment or selfies. By helping keep wild animals in the wild, you're protecting both species and ecosystems.
• Share and advocate for habitats and animal protection: Spread the word among your friends, family, and local community. Take to social media or host events in your neighbourhood to let others know what they can do to protect habitats and animals.
• Support WAP campaigns and policies: We’re stronger together. By adding your voice to our campaigns and policies, we have a much better chance of achieving the habitat protections we want.  

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