Dingo Fence - reasons for the construction of the longest fence in the world and the consequences of this decision (13 photos + 1 video)

On the one hand, it is endemic to the continent and a rather cute representative of the local fauna. On the other hand, it is a global problem. And to fence it off, they even had to build the longest fence in the world.





It stretches for more than 5,600 kilometers to prevent dingoes from invading human territory.



Dingo Dog

If you look at a map of dingo habitat in Australia, the wild dogs are listed as "common" in the north and central regions of the country, but in the lower right corner, separated by a sharp, winding border, the dingo population suddenly appears "absent".





This winding border is not a natural force field preventing the settlement and spread of animals. It is the so-called "Dingo Fence" - a completely human creation.



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Spanning the desert of southeastern Australia, the Dingo Fence is the longest fence in the world, built to ensure that no one in southeastern Australia ever has to cry "Dingos ate my sheep!" again. Originally built in the 1880s to keep out rabbits, the fence was rebuilt in the early 1900s to keep out wild dogs, who had become notorious for devouring local farmers' sheep.



Dingo Fence

Unlike a typical dog fence, this one is surrounded by a special five-metre zone on each side and extends across thousands of kilometres of dry land. Constructed from wire mesh and stranded electric wire, the two-metre fence was intended to be an absolute deterrent to the feral sheep-eating dogs that kill millions of Australian animals every year. However, despite its successful start, the project has had serious unintended consequences that have negatively affected the environment and even the sheep themselves.



From the air, the fence appears to be endless

As the south-eastern side of the fence is fenced off from dingoes, the population of animals such as rabbits, kangaroos and emus has increased, leading to overgrazing of sheep on the pastures and disruption of the ecological balance.



Some animals die trying to get through the fence

In addition to these problems, the fence is not entirely effective in stopping dingoes: a significant number of dogs crawl through the holes in the wire mesh every year. Sheep are, of course, more protected, but the "Dingo Fence" is a clear example of how any long-term effects of environmental manipulation can often lead to unpredictable results.





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Dingoes were a totem animal for the indigenous population