Electrical Fences Fatal to Many Species

Poor installation of power lines and electrical fencing is becoming a problem around Africa. There are numerous national parks, reserves, and farms around South Africa. So, to keep predators and undesirable animals from intruding and to protect livestock, these areas are usually enclosed in electric fencing.

Although the fences are intended to protect animals inside the areas, these fences are equally harmful to some of them, too. Today, Tatiana Regan talks about why and how electrical fencing is harmful to many animals.

Many have not taken the issue seriously: electrical fences are deadly. These fences are becoming a threat to wildlife. Even the number of incidents is quite alarming.

In 2008, about 21,000 reptiles were reported to have been killed due to electrocution after an encounter with these electrical fences.  Another study showed that even leopards, African elephants, Cape buffalos, giraffes, and white rhinos have died for the same reasons. Primates have also fallen victim to these incidents.

Although fences are set up to deter unwanted creatures, these fences are set up very close to the ground. Not all animals respond by retreating. To name a few, pangolins, turtles, and tortoises do not immediately retreat. Pangolins would even, at times, wrap itself around the wire. Turtles would often just hide in their shells. By staying in their positions, these animals suffer the shock until they die.

Apart from fences, even power lines that are installed poorly and haphazardly have proven to be fatal to many species of birds, like golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, the white-backed vultures, and the Cape vultures. Some of these birds are already classified as critically endangered.

Today, electrocution from these fences and power lines already adds to the cause of the many deaths of these endangered animals. That is apart from natural causes like bush fires, and human-induced causes, like poaching and other wildlife crimes.

It’s time to think of practical solutions to these issues. Not only are we protecting what is inside these national parks and reserves. We are also protecting the animals outside these protected areas.