In May 2022 we hosted a workshop for our Pangolin friendly farm fences project. The purpose of this meeting was to engage with landowners on our long-term project to reduce pangolin mortalities on electric fences. We have partnered withPangolin.Africa, The Tikki Hywood Foundation and Stafix, with funding and support from Save Pangolins.
One of the biggest threats facing pangolins in southern Africa is their accidental electrocution on electrified fences. Studies have found that as many as 1,000 pangolins may be killed on these fences each year in South Africa alone, overshadowing the illegal wildlife trade as a threat to pangolins in the region.
Electrified fences are prevalent on game reserves, private game farms, nature reserves and commercial livestock farms across southern Africa. They are a popular choice for the control of animal movement, ensuring livestock and wildlife stay in the confines of the farm and unwanted predators and people are kept out. While economical and effective, electrified fences also result in the electrocution of non-targeted species.
The Temminck’s Ground Pangolin is bipedal, walking on its hind legs with its front legs and tail held off the ground. When the pangolin physically encounters an electrified fence its head or unscaled underbelly receives the initial shock. The result is often that the pangolin will adopt its natural defense of rolling into a ball and, in doing so, inadvertently wrapping itself around the electric wire. Each consecutive shock causes the animal to curl even tighter around the wire until the successive electrical pulses - or exposure - ultimately result in their death.
Through this and prior engagement with landowners and fence installers, we have become increasingly aware that some of the physical design of the fence can also, in certain areas, have a significant impact on reducing animal mortalities on fences. We are therefore planning an additional phase to this project. We are currently busy setting up this part of the project where we will be testing different physical fence modifications.
In general, we have had a lot interest in the project. It has been satisfying to be able to talk about how far we have come in testing our proposed solution but we are not yet confident that we can recommend the system yet. However, we know once we do the roll-out will be met with much enthusiasm because the desire to not kill pangolins and tortoises and other innocent animals is a common theme amongst all landowner and reserve managers we have engaged with.
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