World’s Largest Fence Being Build In Australia
Today’s topic is Australia’s largest fencing project. But will start by asking whether you are more of a dog or a cat person? Maybe both? Well, we find them both cute and adorable, and of course very lovable pets. But did you know that some of the cat species can be very deadly? Not to humans (hopefully), but to other mammals.
And this is the case with feral cats. A killer cats in the central Australia. Feral cats? Who? They are actually the same species as domestic cats, however they live in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging. Even a lovable domestic cat who has been abandoned in the rural Australia can become a feral cat as they need to survive and of course hunting in the wild is the only way to do that. You can find feral cats all over Australia. For example in the forests, woodland grassland, wetlands and arid areas.
Feral cats usually spend majority of the day in the shelter to keep themselves safe. Either a rabbit hole, log or even a rock pile will do. And then they will come out to hunt. Being carnivores, they eat small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, and even insects.
Cute cats or not, feral cats are a big threat to the survival of over 100 native species in Australia. And they have already caused the extinction of some ground-dwelling birds and small to medium-sized mammals. Decline of many land-based endangered animals like bilby, bandicoot, bettong and numbat, is to blame on the feral cats.
The central Australia’s mammal population has a shameful statistic. 30 mammals have extinct and 10 more are in danger.
How Australian Wildlife Conservancy decided to solve this issue? The best way they know how and that is by building the world’s largest cat fence. Keeping the feral cats out and allowing the endangered species to reproduce is one way to go.
But undertaking such a huge project as building a world’s largest fence, is not the easiest thing to do. In total this project in Newhaven sanctuary will span 100,000 hectares.
First stage is building 44 km, requiring 35,000 pickets, 1,600 km of plain wire and more than 500 km of netting.
Next phase will be building of more than 185km long fence protecting 70,000 hectares of land.
The fence itself will be 1.8m in height and will have a floppy top, so the mesh curves over at the top is supported by the high tensile wires.
Of course for this project to have a success, all the feral cats within the territory protected by the fence have to be caught and removed, which is a challenge by itself.
At the pace that this project is developing now, it is expected that all the feral cats would be removed by Christmas 2018. So not a long time to go.
This topic is more about cats, rather than about steel fencing in Melbourne or in Australia, but we, as a steel fencing company, wanted to share this great news with you. Especially because we know that a project like that is a very time and resource consuming, but it’s worth it if it can help endangered mammal species in central Australia.
But if you have your own enquires about metal fencing in Melbourne, don’t hesitate to contact us. Whether it’s the neighbour’s cat or a dog you want to keep away from your backyard with the steel security fence, let us know, and we will find a right solution for you. Or if it’s a business or a farm locating in the outback of Australia and you want to make sure that wild animals will not enter your territory, then also contact us and we will find a great solution made exactly according to your requirements. Chain wire fences, tubular steel fences, welded mesh panels, just name it. Residential fencing, commercial fencing or industrial fencing, Diamond Fence will handle them all.
Call us on (03) 9753 4566, shoot us an email on info@diamondfence.com.au , or just get a FREE online quote.
