Dingo Fence; It is a very tall fence that stretches from the south to the north of Australia. Although some call this fence the “Dog Wall”, it is also called the “Great Australian Wall” by most. The length of the fence is almost 600 kilometers longer than the Great Wall of China, making it one of the longest structures and longest fences in the world at 5,614 kilometers. However, the Great Australian Wall has a much more modest appearance than the Great Wall of China. This structure, which does not attract the attention of tourists, is equipped with wire fences made of barbed wire on top.
Dingo Fence; In Australia, it extends for thousands of kilometers of barren land, from Jimbur in the Darling Hills to the west of the Eyre Peninsula, where the rocky Nullarbor Plain stretches. This fence, built in the 1880s, has an interesting story, starting with the fight against rabbits and continuing with wild dingoes. The fencing, which was renovated in the early 1900s, is intended to keep wild dingoes away from sheep and cattle grazing in the relatively fertile southeast of the continent.
Dingo is a species of wild dog belonging to the canidae family that lives naturally only in Australia. It was discovered when European immigrants settled in Australia in the 17th century. This species is considered a native and unique animal of Australia.
The Interesting Story of the Dingo Fence That Begins with Rabbits
The story of the Dingo Fence, in Australia fight with rabbits It was started to. In 1859, a ship from England arrived with twenty-four rabbits on board. Although these rabbits initially appeared harmless, they became a major problem within about 30 years after they were released by one Tom Austin. As the rabbit population increased uncontrollably, agricultural fields and pastures were rapidly turning into an arid desert. To prevent this destruction, fences made of different materials began to be erected for kilometers around the farms.
During the measures taken to control the rabbit population, termites appeared as an unexpected side effect of the fences. Other helpers in the fight against rabbits were wild camels and local kangaroos. Nowadays, this fence divides the continent from north to south It was built by 400 workers between 1901 and 1907. However, despite all these efforts, experts still estimate that rabbits consume the grass of 25 million sheep annually.
Biological interventions used to control rabbits, such as the one affecting rabbits captured in 1950 myxomatosis virus and calcivirus, which was added to the population in the early 1990s, was initially effective, but it was observed that the rabbit population recovered rapidly with the emergence of resistant individuals. The increase in the rabbit population led settlers to create a rabbit-proof barrier to protect their crops. However, the fence built failed to keep the rabbits out and only blocked some of them.
Dingoes, Australia’s Red Bane
The Dingo, an Australian wild dog, is the only carnivorous mammal in Australia. Australian sheep farmers faced attacks on their flocks from wild dingo dogs, prompting serious consideration of fences surrounding their farms and other less effective measures.
Dingo The easiest and most desired targets of their hunt were sheep. Filled with hunting passion, these dogs could kill more sheep than they could eat. A dingo family could slaughter a dozen sheep at night. People were not usually attacked by dingoes, but this was alarming for Australian farmers.
The fight against the dingo began in 1788, when the first sheep were brought to the continent. The fight against the dingo’s nocturnal hunting habit was quite complicated: they hid during the day and only preferred the dark hours to hunt. Hunters set traps, laid nets, shot and poisoned. By the end of the 19th century, farmers in the state of New South Wales spent tons of strychnine poison every year to combat wild dogs. An extra payment was made for each animal killed. Large shepherd dogs brought from Europe successfully fought against wild dingoes. However, “Australia’s red disasterAll these measures taken against this situation, called “”, were not effective enough. The population of dingoes increased hundreds of times in a short time and all animals became endangered.
It was decided that fences created by state governments in the 1880s to prevent the spread of rabbits needed to be rebuilt to keep dingoes out and protect sheep flocks. These fences remained neglected until the early 1900s. By 1930 only 32,000 kilometers were in use in Queensland. In the 1940s, the fences were combined into one continuous structure and was registered as the world’s tallest fence. Until 1980, the fence was 8,614 kilometers long, but was later shortened to 5,614 kilometers.
Although dingoes can still be found in some southern states, fences have become more effective over time. The fence is maintained by states and costs approximately $10 million annually. In some areas, sections of the fence are illuminated by solar panels. The fence, which has an average height of 180 cm, consists of thousands of miles of wire mesh stretched between wooden poles. There is also a restricted zone of approximately 5 meters on both sides, cleared of vegetation and used as guard dogs.
Controversial Environmental Impact of Dingo Fence
While the Dingo Fence saves millions of dollars every year by reducing sheep losses, it also raises an environmental debate. In essence, the fence creates two distinct ecological zones with dingoes and non-dingo areas, and some indigenous areas. animals at risk of extinction He threatens others while stinging. The fight against dingoes has led to increased populations of rabbits, kangaroos and ostriches, while the number of local rodents appears to have partially decreased.
This brings about a debate about the classification of the Dingo. Some argue that the dingo is not native to Australia and came from Southeast Asia about 4000 years ago, so it can be attributed to pests such as rabbits, camels, buffalos and wild boars. In fact, most parts of the country have laws requiring the destruction of wild dogs, including dingoes. From the University of Sydney, Dr. According to Mike Letnick, the dingo, Australia’s top predator, plays an important role in maintaining natural balance in an area of 2 million square kilometres. This fence also stands out as an unusual choice.
