THE TIMES (Johannesburg, S Africa) 10 July 07 Frogs getting fried on electric fences (Anton Ferreira)
The electric fences springing up across South Africa are taking a heavy toll of unintended victims — frogs, tortoises and pangolins.
Researchers say the fences should be redesigned so that they do not electrocute wildlife.
Andrew Beck, a biologist at Wits University, is trying to assess the scale of the damage caused both by farm fences — which have electrified strands to keep out predators such as jackals and caracals — and suburban security fences, which are intended to keep out human predators.
He said of the farm fences: “Animals are definitely getting nailed, particularly tortoises and pangolins, and in large numbers. There have also been incidents (involving) pythons.”
Tortoises are vulnerable because their instinctive response when their shells brush against a live wire is to retract their head and limbs into their shell.
Beck said: “They become a part of the circuit, with regular pulses of electricity being passed through them.
“They suffer from dehydration and heat stress when lying exposed for long periods on a fence-line.”
Beck said he had reports of chameleons, geckos, snakes and giant bullfrogs being killed by domestic security fences.
He appealed to anyone with information about such casualties to contact him. His work is being supported by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (www.ewt.org.za).
Julius Koen, a conservationist with the Northern Cape provincial government, said: “The tortoises most affected in our area are leopard tortoises, which are fairly common.
“We are, however, most concerned about animals such as pangolins being electrocuted.”
Koen described electric fences as a necessary evil in wildlife management.
The Nama Karoo Foundation said that in places such as Britstown the white shells of dead tortoises lined fences “as far as the eye can see”.
Frogs getting fried on electric fences