Barbed wire fencing as a hazard for wildlife

Full text

During a study of the ecology of arboreal
marsupials in a network of roadside and
streamside vegetation near Euroa, Victoria,
a number of Squirrel Glider Petaurus nor-
folcensis and Sugar Glider P. breviceps
carcasses were discovered suspended from
barbed wire fences (Fig. 1). There have
been several incidental observations of
such deaths for a range of species in
Australia and overseas (Russell 1980;
Allen and Ramirez 1990; Andrews 1990;
Krake 1991; Nero 1993; Land for Wildlife
1994; Platt and Temby 1994; Johnson
1995; Anonymous 1996; Tischendorf and
Johnson 1997; van der Ree 1997;
Campbell 1998; Johnson and Thiriet 1998)
but the extent of this problem is still rela-
tively unknown. The aim of this study was
to quantify the extent of the situation by
collecting records from a range of sources
and describing the actual event (e.g.
species, fence type, which strand of wire,
location).
Study area and methods
Case study – Euroa, Victoria
The study area lies within the northern
plains of Victoria and is bounded by the
towns of Euroa, Violet Town, Nagambie,
Avenal and Murchison. Formerly dominat-
ed by open eucalypt woodland, there is
now 3.6% remnant vegetation cover,
approximately 85% of which occurs as lin-
ear strips along roads and streams (van der
Ree, unpubl. data). The remaining 15% is
made up of small patches of woodland.
The major land use is agriculture, with
extensive dryland cropping and grazing
(Bennett et al. 1998).
Observations of animals caught on
barbed wire fences were made opportunis-
The Victorian Naturalist
210
Research Reports
Barbed Wire Fencing as a Hazard for Wildlife
Rodney van der Ree1
Abstract
Anecdotal reports from landholders and biologists suggest that the entanglement and subsequent
death of animals on barbed wire fences is widespread in Australia. In this report, I collate records of
at least 62 species of wildlife that have become entangled on barbed wire fences in Australia. This
paper is divided into two components; the first focuses on an area near Euroa in northern Victoria as
a case study, and the second lists records from throughout Australia. In the Euroa study area, the
species most commonly encountered on fences were gliding marsupials (Sugar Glider Petaurus bre-
viceps and Squirrel Glider P. norfolcensis) (26 individuals), followed by birds (7 individuals). On a
continental scale, species found entangled in barbed wire include gliding marsupials, flying-foxes,
aquatic birds, night birds and birds of prey. Records were collected from a wide range of habitats
and localities, including the urban-rural fringe, forests and woodlands, agricultural landscapes, semi-
arid areas and around water bodies. All individuals were found entangled with barbed wire, and
more than 95% of entanglements occurred on standard height farm fencing. Recommendations for
alternatives to barbed wire fencing are discussed. (The Victorian Naturalist 116 (6), 1999, 210-217.)
Introduction
1School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin
University, Rusden Campus, 662 Blackburn Rd,
Clayton, Victoria 3168.
Fig. 1. Dead Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfol-
censis caught in a barbed wire fence. Photo by
R. van der Ree.

tically while undertaking fieldwork on the
ecology of arboreal marsupials. Additional
records were obtained from local landhold-
ers. There was no systematic searching to
detect entangled animals, and consequently
the results of this study are likely to under-
estimate the severity of the problem.
Whenever possible, the following para-
meters were obtained for each entangle-
ment:
•date found;
•approximate time since death or entan-
glement;
•species, sex and approximate age (the
approximate age of Petaurus species was
determined using the level of upper
incisor wear (refer Suckling 1984; Quin
1995);
•location (latitude and longitude), and
description of site;
•the point of entanglement on the animal’s
body (e.g. wing, neck, tail, gliding mem-
brane);
•the fence characteristics (fence type,
barbed or plain wire strand, strand posi-
tion in the fence).
Australia-wide Perspective
This section is a preliminary report of
records from a wide range of people across
Australia and is intended to highlight the
issue and present initial findings. I collated
the same information as that collected for
the Euroa study area, from sources includ-
ing Field Naturalist groups, Landcare
groups, landholders and biologists,
between 1996 and the present. I also
requested records from members of the
Ecological Society of Australia,
Australasian Wildlife Management
Society, Field Naturalist Club of Victoria,
and Birds Australia via their electronic
mail discussion lists and newsletters. The
wildlife atlas data-bases from Victoria and
New South Wales were investigated, as
was the Wildlife Information and Rescue
Service (WIRES) data-base.
Results
Euroa study area
Number and type of species entangled
A total of 33 animals was recorded
entangled on barbed wire between 1994
and 1998 in the Euroa study area (Table 1).
Fifteen were positively identified as
Squirrel Gliders and 11 gliders could not
be reliably identified to species and are
referred to as Petaurus sp. (this group
includes only Sugar Gliders and Squirrel
Gliders). Other species entangled with
barbed wire fencing included the
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (2
individuals) (Fig. 2), and a single Rock
Vol. 116 (6) 1999 211
Research Reports
Table 1. Observations of wildlife entangled with barbed-wire fencing from the Euroa case study
area. Species listed in taxonomic order according to Christidis and Boles (1994) (birds) and
Menkhorst (1995) (mammals).
Species Scientific name Number of Fence type Wire type
individuals
Mammals
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis 15 f b
Sugar or Squirrel Glider Petaurus sp. 11 f b
Birds
Spoonbill Platalea sp. 1 f b
Rock Dove Columba livia 1fb
Galah Eolophus roseicapilla 1 f b
Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae 1 f b
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen 2 f b
White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos 1 f b
Fence type: f = standard height farm fence. Wire type: b = barbed wire.
Fig. 2. Ausralian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
caught on barbed wire fence. Photo by R. van
der Ree.

Dove (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia,
Spoonbill Platalea species, Southern
Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae, White-
winged Chough Corcorax melanorham-
phos and Galah Eolophus roseicapilla.
Fence characteristics
All individuals were entangled with
barbed wire on standard farm fences
approximately one metre high. The appar-
ent point of entanglement of the animal
was with the barb on the wire. Where
entanglement position was recorded
(n=17), 12 entanglements occurred on the
top strand of the fence, one occurred on the
second strand from the top, and four
occurred on the third strand from the top.
Once caught on the barbed wire, it
appeared that many gliders and birds
became further entangled as they struggled
to free themselves. On one occasion, the
strand of wire was cut and the glider taken,
with the wire in-situ, to a wildlife shelter
for removal and rehabilitation. In the
Euroa study area, all 33 records occurred
where fences were positioned between
cleared paddocks and vegetated roadsides.
Carcass characteristics
The advanced decomposition of many
carcasses limited observations on the sex
and age of the animals. Four female and
one male Squirrel Glider were identified;
the sex of 21 gliders and seven birds was
not determined. Using the degree of tooth
wear on the upper incisors of the gliders as
an index of age, four individuals were
identified as juvenile and four as adults.
Age was not determined for the remaining
18 gliders or seven birds.
For gliders, the most common point of
entanglement was the tail (11 records)
(Table 2), followed by a combination of
the tail and gliding membrane (four
records) and the gliding membrane and leg
(two records). Three gliders were too
decomposed to determine the point of
entanglement, and point of entanglement
was not recorded for six individuals. Only
two gliders were found alive and released,
and these were entangled by the tail only.
One magpie was entangled by a combina-
tion of wing and neck, and the feral pigeon
was caught by its leg ring; the point of
entanglement was not recorded for the
remaining birds.
Australia-wide perspective
Number and type of species entangled
Sixty-two species of wildlife have been
observed entangled with barbed wire fenc-
ing across Australia (Table 3). The types
of species include gliding marsupials, bats,
ground-dwelling birds, water birds, night
birds and birds of prey. The most numer-
ous group reported entangled with barbed
wire fencing were flying foxes from north-
ern Australia. The Little Red Flying-fox
Pteropus scapulatus appears particularly
susceptible to entanglement in north
Queensland, with a published report of
over 450 individuals entangled in one year
(Johnson 1995), and another respondent
reported 200 individuals on one fence at
the same time (Jon Luly, pers. comm.).
Many respondents reported observing
numerous macropods (Black Wallaby
Wallabia bicolor, Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Macropus giganteus, Western Grey
Kangaroo M. fuliginosus, and Red
Kangaroo M. rufus) and Emus Dromaius
novaehollandieae with their legs entangled
in the top two strands of fences but could
not give detailed information about specif-
ic incidents because of the regularity with
which they were observed. This problem is
not specifically related to barbed wire, as
plain wire also entraps kangaroos and
Emus by their legs as they attempt to jump
the fence, and hence these records have not
been included in Table 3.
Mesh fencing may pose a barrier to those
species that are too large to pass through
the mesh and unable to jump or climb over
the fence. Certain species of reptile appear
to be particularly susceptible because their
rear facing scales and body shape allows
them to place their heads through the tight-
ly fitting mesh – but does not allow the rest
The Victorian Naturalist
212
Research Reports
Table 2. Point of entanglement of gliders found
on barbed wire fences in the Euroa study area,
1994-1998. No. = number of gliders found.
Point of entanglement No.
Tail only 11
Tail and gliding membrane 4
Gliding membrane and leg 2
Unable to tell (decomposed too far) 3
Not recorded 6
Total found 26

Vol. 116 (6) 1999 213
Research Reports
Table 3. Observations of wildlife entangled with barbed-wire fencing from across Australia (excluding
the Euroa case study records) as reported by volunteer observers. Species listed in taxonomic order
according to Christidis and Boles (1994) (birds) and Menkhorst (1995) and Strahan (1983) (mammals).
Species Scientific name State (Number of individuals) FenceWire
type type
Mammals
Koala Phascolarctos cinerus NSW (2), QLD (4) f b, m
Greater Glider Petauroides volans Vic (2), NSW (6), Qld (4) f b
Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis Vic (3), NSW (3), Qld (8) f b
Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps Vic (25) NSW (9), Qld (44) f, c b
Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis Vic (24), NSW (12), Qld (5) f b
Sugar or Squirrel Glider Petaurus sp. Vic (12) NSW (1) f b
Mahogany Glider Petaurus gracilis Qld (5) f b
Brush-tailed Bettong Bettongia penicillata Qld (1) f b
Tasmanian Pademelon Thylogale billardierri Tas (1) f b
Grey-headed Flying-fox Pteropus poliocephalus Qld (4), NSW (3) f, c b
Little Red Flying-fox Pteropus scapulatus Qld (666^), NSW (5), f, c b
NT (6), WA (1)
Black Flying-fox Pteropus alecto Qld (23), NSW (81), NT (20) f, c b
Spectacled Flying-fox Pteropus conspicullatus Qld (25) f, c b
Flying-fox Pteropus sp. NSW (4), Qld (2), NT (75) f, c b
Queensland Tube-nosed Bat Nyctimene robinsoni Qld (41) f, c b
Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas NT (1) f b
White-striped Freetail Bat Tadarida australis Vic (1) f b
Long-eared Bat Nyctiphilus sp. NSW (1) f b
Microchiropteran Bat species unknown NSW (1), Qld (2) f b
Grassland Melomys Melomys burtoni NSW (1) f b
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Vic (1) f b
Birds
Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius Qld (1) f b
King Quail Coturnix chinensis NSW (2) f b
Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata Qld (1) f b
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa NSW (3), Qld (1) f b
Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus Vic (1) f b
poliocephalus
Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris Vic (<5) f b
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus Vic (1) f b
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae Vic (1), NSW (3) f b
White-necked (Pacific) Heron Ardea pacifica Vic (1) f b
Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus NSW (1) f b
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia Qld (2) f b
Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax Vic (1) f b
Brown Falcon Falco berigora NSW (1) f b
Australian Hobby Falco longipennis NSW (1), Vic (1) f b
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Vic (1) f b
Sarus Crane Girus antigone Qld (1) f b
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis Qld (4) f b
Little Button-quail Turnix velox NSW (2) f b
Red-chested Button-quail Turnix pyrrhothorax NSW (1) f b
Lathams Snipe Gallinago hardwickii NSW (1) f b
Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius Qld (2) f b
Black-fronted Dotterel Charadrius melanops Vic (1) f b
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles Vic (1), Qld (1) f b
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae Vic (<5) f b
Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea Qld (1) f b
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita Qld (1) f b
Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus Vic (1) f b
Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae NSW (1), Qld (1), Vic (3) f b
Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae NSW (2) f b
Barn Owl Tyto alba NSW (2), Qld (1), Vic (3) f b
Grass Owl Tyto capensis Qld (1), SA (1) f b
Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides Qld (2), SA (2), Vic (4) f b
Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus Vic (1) f b

The Victorian Naturalist
214
of their bodies to pass through or retreat.
Goats were reported to become entangled
with mesh fencing as their horns prevent
them from removing their heads from the
wire mesh once pushed through.
Electrified strands of wire too close to the
ground may electrocute Short-beaked
Echidnas Tachyglossus aculeatus if they
attempt to push underneath the wire. Fatal
collisions by various bird species with
mesh fencing was frequently recorded.
Wildlife also became entangled with wire
in non-fence situations; a Kookaburra
Dacelo novaeguineae was found impaled
on a protruding wire on a tree-guard, five
White-throated Needletails Hirundapus
Caudacutus and Black Swans Cygnus
atratus were observed dead on overhead
powerlines and a small insectivorous bat
was impaled by a piece of wire on the top
of a shed.
Records of fauna entangled with barbed
wire were received from across the
Australian continent. Wildlife were entan-
gled with barbed wire fences in a wide
range of habitats, including arid and semi-
arid rangelands, temperate woodlands,
forests, rainforest, wetlands, urban areas
and the rural-urban interface.
Discussion
A localised and widespread problem
The most commonly encountered species
entangled with barbed wire in the Euroa
area was the Squirrel Glider. In parts of the
study area, roadside vegetation supports
high densities of the Squirrel Glider and
other arboreal marsupials (van der Ree,
unpubl. data). The total number of Squirrel
Gliders that became entangled with barbed
wire is probably much greater than that
reported here because many carcasses
could not be reliably identified. Moreover,
this report only includes those individuals
that have been found and reported. In
Victoria, the Squirrel Glider is present in
only a few large reserves (e.g. Chiltern
National Park, Killawarra State Park) and
is largely restricted to small patches of
woodland habitat or linear reserves along
roads and streams. This species has under-
gone a significant decline in abundance
and in Victoria is classified as vulnerable
to extinction (CNR 1995). The additional
threat of mortality from barbed wire fences
for small and isolated populations may be
detrimental to their long-term persistence.
The records collated from across
Australia indicate that the problem is wide-
spread. Records were collected from all
states of Australia, with most originating
from the eastern mainland states. The
absence of records from many areas may
be due to a paucity of observers and entan-
glements going unreported rather than an
absence of entanglements. As many entan-
glements undoubtedly go unobserved and
unreported, the results of this study must
be considered an underestimation. To
realise the full extent of the problem,
observations of entanglements need to be
reported and systematically collated. Of
the data-bases interrogated, only the New
South Wales Wildlife Atlas was able to
easily retrieve records of wildlife entan-
gled with fences. It would be useful for
other data-bases to include a specific code
for records that originate from such entan-
Research Reports
Table 3 continued.
Species Scientific name State (Number of individuals) FenceWire
type type
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae NSW (2), Vic (1) f b
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis Qld (1) f b
Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus NSW (1) f b
tenuirostris
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca Vic (1) f b
Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys Qld (1) f b
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen ACT (1), Qld (2), SA (2), f, c, b
Vic (1) na
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis Vic (1) f b
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris Vic (1) f b
^ = Includes records of 200 individuals (Jon Luly pers. comm.) and 450 individuals from Ravenshoe
district, north Queensland Fence type: f = standard height farm fence, c = 6 to 8 foot cyclone wire
mesh fence, na = not assessed Wire type: b = barbed wire, m = mesh.

Vol. 116 (6) 1999 215
glement so that in future the extent of the
situation can be accurately described.
Wildlife behavior
In the Euroa area, 85% of remnant vege-
tation occurs along roads and streams, and
the remaining 15% as small patches. The
practice of fencing on both sides of roads,
streams and around patches places wildlife
at risk of encountering a fence. The move-
ment patterns and behaviour of Squirrel
Gliders (as revealed by radiotelemetry) in
the Euroa area (van der Ree, unpubl. data)
may increase the risk of becoming entan-
gled with barbed wire fences. Squirrel
Gliders, and probably other gliders, risk
entanglement with barbed wire fencing
when gliding to and from woodland vege-
tation in paddocks and along roads and
streams. Gliders also glide diagonally
across corners at 90° intersections to min-
imise travel distance and energy demands.
These behaviours require the glider to reg-
ularly cross fencelines. The potential for
entanglement also increases as gliding dis-
tance increases; the longer the glide, the
lower the animal will land on its target tree
and the closer it is to the height of the
barbed wire fence.
The placement of barbed wire fences in
activity paths of other species may also
increase the rate of entanglement. In north
Queensland, barbed wire fences in fruit bat
flight paths regularly cause the entangle-
ment and mortality of at least five species
of fruit bat. Removal of bats from barbed
wire fences may place humans at risk of
infection with bat viruses, and extreme
care should be taken when removing these
animals1. New fencing erected in existing
wildlife travel paths can cause the entan-
glement and death of many individuals.
Many respondents reported that kangaroos
appear to be highly susceptible to entan-
glement in new fencing, and that consider-
ation to wildlife movements when design-
ing fences can minimise the problem.
There were insufficient data to determine
whether mortality by collision and entan-
glement with barbed wire is specific to age
or sex in any group of species.
Management implications
Habitat restoration and revegetation is a
goal of many government agencies, con-
servation groups and landholders. Fencing
is essential to control stock access in order
to protect native vegetation and allow for
natural regeneration of palatable species.
Wildlife populations in many rural areas
have already undergone considerable
declines, and often exist in small isolated
patches of habitat. The loss of individuals
by entanglement with fencing is an avoid-
able and unnecessary additional threat. All
fencing that utilises barbed wire to con-
serve or protect vegetation may conceiv-
ably place the fauna using that habitat at
risk of local extinction.
High risk areas
It appears from these results that areas of
potentially high risk can be identified:
•Highly fragmented areas where animals
must regularly cross barbed wire fences
to reach different parts of their habitat.
This is particularly apparent in the Euroa
study area and is probably true for many
agricultural areas.
•Regular flight paths for bats and birds,
and movement paths for mammals that
may include areas of fragmented and
continuous habitat.
•Areas with high density populations of
species vulnerable to entanglement such
as marsupial gliders in the Euroa case
study and fruit bats in north Queensland.
•Wetland areas where barbed wire is
exposed above the water level.
Fencing alternatives
For an alternative fencing style to be
adopted, it must be of equal or greater ben-
efit for stock management. Depending on
the farming enterprise, a number of alter-
natives to barbed wire are available:
•Plain high-tensile fencing wire, if ten-
sioned correctly, can contain most stock.
When a fence is being constructed with
new materials, consider using multiple
strands of high tensile plain wire or plain
wire and ringlock mesh (but beware
using fine mesh which may also entrap
animals or act as a barrier to movement).
•If additional security is required, investi-
gate the option of electric fencing instead
of barbed wire. However, beware of the
potential risk of electrocution of wildlife.
Research Reports
1Guidelines on how to handle bats are given at
the following web address: http://www.bush-
net.qld.edu.au/~melissa/ffnff/

The Victorian Naturalist
216
•If using existing fenceposts, consider
removing the existing strands of barbed
wire and replacing them with plain wire.
In addition, consider adding an electrified
strand to the fence for increased security.
•If a plain wire or ringlock mesh option
does not offer sufficient security, an elec-
trified strand is not feasible, and the use
of barbed wire can not be avoided, then
consider avoiding barbed wire on the top
two or three strands of the fence – this
will reduce, but not eliminate the risk. In
high-risk areas, use plain wire or sheath
the barbed wire inside poly-pipe to pro-
tect animals from the barbs.
•Design the fence to avoid right angles
where marsupial gliders may cross diago-
nally across the corner (Fig. 3), such as at
the intersection of two road reserves.
This would benefit other wildlife by cre-
ating extra habitat as well as reducing
fencing costs.
Future investigation should consider:
•Documenting the extent of the problem
more fully by government agencies and
wildlife rehabilitation organisations
through wildlife databases by specifically
including ‘entanglement with barbed
wire’ as the cause of death.
•Investigating alternative fence designs
that contain stock, are cost-effective to
erect and maintain, and do not pose a
threat to wildlife.
•Education programs to ensure land man-
agers are aware of the potential risk to
wildlife and are able to identify high risk
areas or ‘hot spots’.
Government agencies and other bodies
providing funds for fencing and revegeta-
tion projects should consider these findings
and encourage the use of non-barbed wire
alternatives as a condition for receiving
funding. This will reduce the amount of
barbed wire fencing being erected, and as
old fences are gradually replaced with non-
barbed wire alternatives, the loss of fauna
to barbed wire fencing will be greatly
reduced.
Acknowledgements
This is a contribution from the Landscape
Ecology Research Group, Deakin University.
The financial support of the Holsworth Wildlife
Research Fund is gratefully acknowledged. I
thank the 120 plus people who provided me
with their observations on wildlife mortality
associated with fencing and for discussions
about fencing requirements. Thanks also to the
landholders and residents of the Euroa district
who initially alerted me to the problem and gave
generously of their time and local knowledge. I
thank Andrew Bennett, Jenny Wilson and Sally
Kimber and an anonymous reviewer for com-
ments on the manuscript.
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