Why Australia built a "Great Wall" against cats (5 photos)

To most people, cats are adorable, fluffy pets that bring joy and affection. Down Under, however, a relentless war against feral cats has been raging for years. With a population of 20 million, these introduced predators pose a critical threat to native wildlife. That is precisely why Australia had to build a massive electrified cat-proof fence.





In Australia, feral cats are among the most lethal invaders: with zero natural predators, just a couple hundred cats can wipe out 100,000 birds, rodents, and rabbits a year. According to environmental scientists, feral cats slaughter over 3 million birds, reptiles, and mammals every single day. That is more than 2,000 small animals killed every minute.



Australian feral cats are descendants of domestic pets brought over by early settlers

Cats have already driven 29 native animal species to extinction in Australia, leaving another 40 on the brink of collapse. In 2015, authorities aimed to cull 2 million feral cats, but the initiative yielded little noticeable impact. Unfortunately, Australia has yet to find a truly effective strategy to control the cat population.





Feral cats have adapted remarkably well to scorching desert conditions: they don't even need open water sources, getting all the hydration they need directly from their prey

For now, conservationists consider fencing off reserves to be the only viable way to safeguard vulnerable wildlife. The structure is a 3-meter-high electrified mesh barrier extending for 44 kilometers around the Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary.

The fence keeps out not only feral cats but also European foxes and rabbits introduced to the continent. The ultimate goal is to create a predator-free haven covering roughly 9,400 hectares.



The project was carried out by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), and it is only the first step: plans are underway to establish 11 large-scale fenced reserves across the country.



This is not Australia's first experience with mega-fences: back in the 1880s, work began on a massive wire barrier to protect sheep pastures from wild dingoes. Today, the legendary Dingo Fence spans over 5,600 kilometers.