Experimental trials to determine effective feral cat and fox exclusion fence designs

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• Experimental trials to determine effective feral cat and fox exclusion fence designs (PDF - 1.73 MB)

Related cat videos

• Cat tries to climb fence design 1 (MPG - 2.02 MB) - Duration 11 seconds
• Cat approaches fence design 2 (MPG - 2.3 MB) - Duration 13 seconds
• Cat jumps over electric wire to fence design 2 overhang (MPG - 5.66 MB) - Duration 33 seconds
• Cat tries to climb fence design 3 overhang (MPG - 10.08 MB) - Duration 59 seconds
• Cat paces along fence design 3 (MPG - 9.92 MB) - Duration 58 seconds
• Cat tries to climb over fence design 4 overhang (MPG - 9.09 MB) - Duration 54 seconds
• Cat climbs twice to fence design 5 overhang (MPG - 6.89 MB) - Duration 40 seconds
• Cat breaches fence design 6 overhang (MPG - 1.69 MB) - Duration 10 seconds
• Cat fails to jump to fence design 6 overhang (MPG - 8.11 MB) - Duration 48 seconds

Related fox videos

• European red fox tries to climb overhang and penetrate fence design 1 (MPG - 14.96 MB) - Duration: 1 minute 28 seconds
• European red fox gets 3 shocks from fence design 1 (MPG - 5.91 MB) - Duration: 35 seconds
• European red fox gets an initial shock from fence design 2 (MPG - 1.46 MB) - Duration: 8 seconds
• European red fox pulls electric wire on fence design 2 (MPG - 4.15 MB) - Duration: 24 seconds
• European red fox tentatively approaches fence design 2 (MPG - 3.41 MB) - Duration: 20 seconds
• European red fox jumps onto fence design 3 overhang (MPG - 1.63 MB) - Duration: 9 seconds
• European red fox digs under apron of fence design 4 (MPG - 12.17 MB) - Duration: 1 minute 12 seconds
• European red fox breaches overhang of fence design 6 (MPG - 1.17 MB) - Duration: 6 seconds
• European red fox tugs at fence design 6 (MPG - 10.84 MB)

About this project

Feral cats (Felis catus) are believed to be responsible for the extinction or decline of native marsupials and birds in Australia and are listed as a known or perceived threatening process for 58 native species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), which have been shown to eat a wide range of native species, are a known or perceived threat to 34 native species and are thought to have played a major role in the decline of many ground-nesting birds, small to medium sized mammals and reptiles.

Exclusion fencing is increasingly being used to protect areas of high conservation value or to create 'islands' of protected habitat for native fauna. It has proven a particularly valuable tool in aiding the reintroduction of threatened species to areas from which they have been previously eliminated by threatening processes, including the predatory and competitive impacts of feral animals. The knowledge gaps in the design of these fences have been highlighted by Long and Robley (2004) - as referenced in the report.

The Department commissioned the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research (Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria) to develop an effective fence for the exclusion of European red foxes and feral cats based on the recommendations in Long and Robley (2004).

The objectives of this study were to identify a combination of fence designs to be tested and modify components in stages to determine the optimum physical and/or electrical barrier required to prevent feral (non-domestic) cats and European red foxes breaching a fence. Six fence designs where tested.

The videos show feral cats and European red foxes interacting with the different fence designs.

See also

• More threat abatement projects