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HomeWildlife Friendly Fencing2024-09-04T02:07:27+00:00
Safe and effective for wildlife, people and livestock
This project seeks solutions to the impact of fencing and fruit netting on Australian wildlife. 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. Effective fencing/netting is integral to the management of land, home and business security, production animals and crop protection. A solution for wildlife must also be solution for people and their management of these activities. Like One Health – human health, animal health and our environment are interdependent.
We regard fruit tree netting as a form of fencing to protect a fruit crop, and so it belongs comfortably within wildlife friendly fencing.
More than 75 wildlife species have been identified in Australia as victims of barbed wire fences, especially nocturnal animals such as bats, gliders and owls, on the top strand. A survey we did showed that 86% are caught on the top strand, and 95% on the top two strands. The focus is on making the top strand non-barbed or more visible. Many fail to see the fence, or cannot clear the height under windy conditions. Most of those rescued are too severely damaged to return to the wild. Fewer species are the victims of backyard fruit netting, either through entanglement or being trapped under the net, but it is also a serious animal welfare issue.
There are also other fencing hazards. Kangaroos get hung up in fences that are too high, whether plain, mesh or barbed. This situation is made worse by the bottom strand of the fence being too low to allow them to go under, or the use of droppers preventing them squeezing between strands. Wetlands that are fenced too close to the waterline prevent wetland birds from landing or taking off, especially cranes.
Barbed wire is both an animal welfare and conservation issue. It is recognised as a threatening process in the recovery plans for a number of endangered species eg. Mahogany Glider, Spectacled and Grey-headed flying foxes.
We seek a fundamental change in the approach to fencing, a change that considers the welfare of wildlife in the landscape. This project is looking to establish partnerships with a wide range of organisations to help promote and implement wildlife friendly fencing and netting.
Positive news
Wildlife friendly fencing has come a long way since our first website and brochures in 2006. There are now many organisations with projects using these resources around Australia, and creating their own resources. Big news for wildlife friendly netting that Victoria has led the way with banning the sale and use of large aperture fruit tree netting as of September 2021, and the ACT followed in 2023. Other states are being lobbied to follow.
And several reasons to be optimistic about wildlife friendly fencing:
- This project won the Helen George Mammal grant from WIRES in November 2022 to extend its work with the new barbless safe-twist wire.
- Bayside City Council in Melbourne’s south has a Managing Barbed Wire policy. It aims to eliminate barbed wire where possible on Council land, and where not possible to make the fence wildlife friendly. They will also promote the policy to other Councils, schools etc
- Local Land Services (LLS) in NSW have made a short film to promote wildlife friendly fencing
- A rejuvenated Facebook page for wildlife friendly fencing
- This new wildlife friendly fencing website , now .org and not .com
Keep in Touch
Follow our Facebook page to stay up to date on wildlife friendly fencing and netting work by us and others. Please share your experiences there too. We welcome your experiences as content for this new updated website.
Entangled Wildlife Australia has created an Australian database for citizen scientists to record wildlife entanglements of all types – fishing line and net, barbed wire, other fencing and netting types. Please contribute entanglements you find to help identify risk hotspots, key risk factors and the range (and prevalence) of species impacted. This site also has good resources.
We need your help
- Familiarise yourself with the project through this website. Tell others.
- Make your fences wildlife friendly and encourage others to do likewise.
- Monitor fences locally and report any entangled animals to your local wildlife group.
- Give us your ideas on wildlife friendly fencing.
- Introduce wildlife friendly fencing into your community groups eg Landcare, NRM, wildlife rescue.
- Please contribute your experiences with wildlife friendly fencing and netting on our social media or by emailing us directly
“There is nothing so powerful in the world as an idea whose time has come and animal protection is just such an idea” the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CCMG
Thank you for looking for information about how to help wildlife in trouble. Please do not try to remove an animal from a fence as it requires an experienced person to minimise any further damage to the animal or harm to you. This is especially so for bats as there is a risk, albeit very small, that the bat is infected with rabies or in Australia/UK a rabies-like virus. If you are bitten or scratched, gently wash the wound immediately with soap for about 5 minutes, apply iodine and then urgently contact your doctor for a possible rabies vaccination.
Here is the information for the new IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) app. You will find the phone numbers for bat rescuers in Australia at these websites. Always try to telephone first rather than text or email so that complete information about the animal can be gathered quickly. Keep well back from the animal so it doesn’t panic and keep it safe from people and other animals.