Grazing nets are death traps

A lynx that had tried to catch a lamb became a victim itself after becoming entangled in the net.

The wildlife warden called to the scene in Ardon in the canton of Valais could only confirm the death of both animals, as lenouvelliste.ch reports.

Every year, thousands of animals in Switzerland die in or are injured by fences.

Wildlife and livestock are equally affected. Today, there are practical, more animal-friendly alternatives to the problematic grazing nets.

Grazing nets – left unattended, they become deadly traps

Pasture fences ensure that livestock cannot escape and that unwanted visitors cannot get in. For wildlife, however, fences often represent unnatural barriers within their habitat. Depending on the type and location of the fence, they can be insurmountable or pose dangerous traps. An ideal fence therefore prevents livestock from breaking out of the pasture, protects them from external threats, and is easy for wildlife to pass through and free from danger.

Grazing nets (flexible electric netting) can act like a catch net. When livestock or wildlife become entangled in them, they usually have no chance of freeing themselves. This happens when animals try to graze through the fence, or when they run into it during fights or while fleeing. When grazing nets are electrified, the continuous electric shocks inflict additional suffering on trapped animals that can lead to death. Roe deer, chamois, and red deer are particularly affected, as are useful small animals such as hedgehogs and amphibians. Sheep and goats also repeatedly get caught in these fences and perish; young animals are especially at risk.

Livestock fences regularly become death traps for wildlife such as roe deer, red deer, chamois, and birds of prey — especially in autumn, once the cattle have left the alpine pastures.

Regarding electrified pasture netting, there are no «safe» nets for hedgehogs as long as the second-lowest wire is live.

Good advice before installation

All major fencing companies in Switzerland now have specialist staff who are familiar with the latest developments in fencing systems and can help find the optimal solution for every farm and location. Depending on the situation, different types of fencing are required, and wildlife must be taken into consideration in every case. This means existing wildlife corridors, popular exit points from the forest, escape routes, and the behavior of wild animals must all be taken into account.

The ideal pasture fence

• represents a visible and accepted boundary for grazing animals
• is visible and permeable for wildlife
• causes no injuries, neither to people nor to animals
• can be easily removed after grazing (mobile fence)

Both grazing animals and many wild animals are flight animals: when faced with danger or startled, they react by fleeing. In the course of flight, fences are often no longer recognized as a boundary and are broken through, jumped over, or animals run directly into them. Serious injuries from becoming hopelessly entangled or caught are the result, especially when unsuitable fences are used. Such accidents frequently prove fatal in the end.

It is of the utmost importance that temporary fences are removed as soon as animals are no longer using the pasture — not only to protect the fencing material, but above all to avoid unnecessary conflicts with wildlife.

Barbed wire — a relic of a bygone era

Barbed wire, with its razor-sharp iron barbs, does not meet the requirements of a modern fence, as the risk of injury is high — particularly for birds of prey and larger wild animals such as roe deer, chamois, and red deer. Grazing animals, too, can sustain serious injuries from barbed wire when attempting to cross over or under it, or when they run into the fence during a potential flight response. There are now sufficient more animal-friendly, practical alternatives available. The canton of Graubünden leads by example here, where barbed wire has been banned in many municipalities for decades. Barbed wire fences should be banned throughout Switzerland, with existing ones replaced as soon as possible or at least taken down in winter.

Everyone knows them — the razor-sharp points of barbed wire.

Even a slight snag can cause serious laceration wounds. Barbed wire fences on pastures for horses, llamas, and alpacas have finally been banned in Switzerland since September 2008 — but they may still be used for other livestock. For cows, goats, and sheep, the Federal Veterinary Office continues to accept the risk of severe injuries. If an animal runs into barbed wire during a confrontation with members of its own species or in a flight response, the result can be bloody scratches, deep lacerations, or udder injuries.

For wildlife, barbed wire also represents a treacherous and often deadly trap. Deer, roe deer, chamois fleeing from danger, or birds of prey in a dive can collide with these fences. The danger is particularly great in poor visibility (fog, twilight, darkness) or in winter, when the fences are covered by snow. Injuries from the razor-sharp points are, at the very least, extremely painful and, in the worst case, fatal. It is a slow, agonizing death.

Barbed wire is a relic of a bygone era, for which there are now more cost-effective, safer, and more animal-friendly fencing systems for both livestock and wildlife. – IG Wild beim Wild

Wild beim Wild urgently calls for safe fences for wildlife and grazing animals — once and for all!

Source: STS information sheet: Safe pasture fences for livestock and wildlife