Experimental trials to determine effective feral cat and fox exclusion fence designs
Threat abatement project ID: 49538
Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2006
ISBN 0 6425 5326 2
PDF file
- Experimental trials to determine effective feral cat and fox exclusion fence designs (PDF - 1771 KB)
Related cat videos
- Cat tries to climb fence design 1 (MPG - 2066 KB) - Duration: 11 seconds
- Cat approaches fence design 2 (MPG - 2354 KB) - Duration: 13 seconds
- Cat jumps over electric wire to fence design 2 overhang (MPG - 5792 KB) - Duration: 33 seconds
- Cat tries to climb fence design 3 overhang (MPG - 10 322 KB) - Duration: 59 seconds
- Cat paces along fence design 3 (MPG - 10 159 KB) - Duration: 58 seconds
- Cat tries to climb over fence design 4 overhang (MPG - 9312 KB) - Duration: 54 seconds
- Cat climbs twice to fence design 5 overhang (MPG - 7054 KB) - Duration: 40 seconds
- Cat breaches fence design 6 overhang (MPG - 1732 KB) - Duration: 10 seconds
- Cat fails to jump to fence design 6 overhang (MPG - 8300 KB) - Duration: 48 seconds
Related fox videos
- European red fox tries to climb overhang and penetrate fence design 1 (MPG - 15 324 KB) - Duration: 1 minute 28 seconds
- European red fox gets 3 shocks from fence design 1 (MPG - 6053 KB) - Duration: 35 seconds
- European red fox gets an initial shock from fence design 2 (MPG - 1496 KB) - Duration: 8 seconds
- European red fox pulls electric wire on fence design 2 (MPG - 4254 KB) - Duration: 24 seconds
- European red fox tentatively approaches fence design 2 (MPG - 3493 KB) - Duration: 20 seconds
- European red fox jumps onto fence design 3 overhang (MPG - 1666 KB) - Duration: 9 seconds
- European red fox digs under apron of fence design 4 (MPG - 12 458 KB) - Duration: 1 minute 12 seconds
- European red fox breaches overhang of fence design 6 (MPG - 1194 KB) - Duration: 6 seconds
- European red fox tugs at fence design 6 (MPG - 11 096 KB) - Duration: 1 minute 4 seconds
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
Before you download
Some documents are available as PDF files. You will need a PDF reader to view PDF files.
List of PDF readers
If you are unable to access a publication, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.
Key
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window