Each year thousands of animals face a cruel death or permanent injury from entanglements – particularly on barbed wire fences and large-aperture backyard fruit netting, but also other types of fences and commercial fruit netting.
Hotspots for entanglement include ridge lines, near feed trees, new fences, fences across/near water where wildlife come to drink.
Effective fencing/netting is integral to the management of land, home and business security, production animals and crop protection.
Wildlife Friendly Fencing is fencing that is safe and effective for wildlife, people and livestock.
- does not entangle or harm wildlife
- allows the safe free movement of wildlife across rural and urban landscapes
- prevents unsafe movement of wildlife
- may mean no fence at all
Exclusion fencing – friendly or not?
Exclusion fencing is any kind of sturdy, meshed fencing that prevents the movement of animals from one area to another. It is commonly used to lessen unwanted economic losses caused by wildlife/feral animals. This includes grazing pressure from kangaroos. It can also be used to protect ecologically sensitive areas without harm to wildlife if targeted and not widespread.
However there is increasing concern that exclusion fencing is becoming sturdier and longer than ever, fencing larger and larger areas off from wildlife. While the potential for agricultural, ecological and economic benefits of wildlife exclusion are often apparent, what is less clear are the costs and benefits to sympatric non-target wildlife.