In early 2020, a Westonfence D10 exclusion fence was erected on Mogumber Nature Reserve, to exclude a population of feral pigs and protect the Western Swamp Tortoise … whilst allowing it move into and out of the swamp area.
“The Western Swamp Tortoise is one of the most threatened species in Australia,” says Rosanna Hindmarsh, Executive Director of Ellen Brockman Integrated Catchment Group and Chittering Landcare Group.
“Gallagher + Westonfence enabled us to have a 500-metre fence erected, bounding one hectare of land around the swamp, and allowing the Tortoise unimpeded access to the waterway.
“Our aim was to stop the feral pigs fouling the water, destroying the vegetation and predating on the Tortoises.”
It’s evident that a plain wire electric fence is more friendly to small native animals such as gliders and turtles, but is still effective against pigs, wild dogs and kangaroos.
The fence protects against feral pigs entering the land around the swamp, but Rosanna says, “The group has [also] removed more than 800 pigs from the area.”
No feral pigs have entered the one hectare area since the fence was erected. This has kept the water clear of fouling and protected the slow-moving Tortoises both within and as they move out of the swamp and into natural aestivation places in surrounding crevices in the ground and in deep leaf litter.
The environmental outcomes of this trial project are very encouraging showing reduced or no grazing damage to the fenced-off revegetation that provides cover and protection for the Western Swamp Tortoises that utilise the waterhole ... Rosanna Hindmarsh
Habitat Fencing, Environmental Fencing, Conservation Fencing, Wild Pig Exclusion, Exclusion Fencing
