ELECTRIC FENCING AS A BEAR DETERRENT

 · Shared by : Beatrice Frank
 · Last update : 7 October 2019
Download in PDF
Favorite Favorite
Arrow up

Add this initiative to my favorites

Remove this initiative to my favorites

Icon

Initiative
description

Icon
Icon

Implementation, use
and maintenance

Icon
Icon

To go
further

Icon
Icon

Comments

Icon

Initiative
description

Icon
Leader name
Carnivore for Coexistence Alliance
Icon
Entity type
Non-governmental organization
Icon
Launching Date
1 April 2019
Icon
Assessment initiative
Not assessed
Icon
Initiative Type
Fixed fences
Icon
Wildlife species
Omnivores and frugivores
Puma
Wolf
- black bear (Ursus americanus)
- cougar (Puma concolor)
- wolf (Canis lupus)
Icon
Issues
Livestock
Icon
Intervention area
Canada
Metchosin, VAncouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

BACKGROUND

Over the past 5 years, 54 bears and 30 cougars have been killed in the Capital Regional District (CRD), Victoria, Canada, due to conflict; of these, 14 bears and 22 cougars were destroyed due to agricultural conflicts. Of those 2 bears and 6 cougars were killed in Metchosin since 2011. In Metchosin the number of calls to conservation officer with regards to conflicts with carnivores has boomed since 2016 (from 9 to 23 calls regarding damages, injuries, garbage accessing, and livestock killings for both black bears and cougars), especially in regard to black bears predating livestock (from an average of 2.29 in the previous six years to 7 calls this year since April). To move from human-carnivores conflicts to coexistence the Carnivore for Coexistence Alliance has engaged in helping install electric fencing in areas where bear-livestock conflicts are high.

DESCRIPTION

In April 2019, the Carnivore for Coexistence Alliance and Jeff Marley have helped install an electric fence on a property in Metchosin, Victoria, BC, that has experienced sheep losses over the last few years. To better understand what happens when we install an electric fence, we have set up cameras to document bear behaviour in response to electric fencing. So far no livestock has been predate by bears thanks to the electric fencing.

PRINCIPLE

Reduce the killing of carnivores due to livestock depredation and increase farmers willingness to coexist with carnivores on a shared landscape.

CONDITIONS OF SUCCESS

Maintain the electric fencing in operation, cut back all the vegetation around the fencing to allow the fencing to be working perfectly, check on battery regularly,


Advantages

  • - Reduces livestock depredation effectively, no need for guardian dogs or moving livestock inside during the night

Disadvantages

  • - Electric fencing is expensive, requests maintenance, large areas to cover
Icon
Icon

Implementation, use
and maintenance

IMPLEMENTATION

Icon
Workforce
-
Icon
Workload
-
Icon
Training
-
Icon
Training duration
-
Icon
Financial cost
-
Icon
Currency financial cost
-

IMPLEMENTATION KEY STEPS

-

EQUIPMENTS

  • -

USE & MAINTENANCE

Icon
Workforce
-
Icon
Workload
-
Icon
Training
-
Icon
Training duration
-
Icon
Financial cost
-
Icon
Currency financial cost
-
Icon
Annual period of use
-
Icon
Daily period of use
-

STEPS OF USE

-

EQUIPMENTS

  • -
Icon
Icon

To go
further

Icon Contact coexcarnivores@gmail.com
Icon Internet links
Icon Funding opportunities The Coexistence with Carnivores Allaince was funded in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Government of British Columbia through the Agri-Food Futures Fund. This program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C

Icon Documentations
-

This initiative does not have a video yet

Icon
Icon

Comments

Be the first to write a comment about this initiative