Aussies warned over 'hidden' property danger as new owners adopt lifesaving trend
Bridget, who lives in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, was out clearing unused fencing from her grandfather's 42-acre property recently.
"It's a lovely piece of natural environment," she told Yahoo. "It's bordering on a lot of farmland, and a lot of that space people don't actually have cattle on any more, so you would see a lot of that barbed wire."
But that barbed wire no longer serves a purpose and poses a "definite hazard" to wildlife.
"It's changed because of who has moved here," she explained. "We're in the Northern Rivers which are quickly expanding... Some people who just want a good amount of land are buying these properties and they might not necessarily run cattle on them any more."
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In many cases, new landowners might not even realise the extent of defunct fencing on their property. "We had the floods come through and getting to that barbed wire, a lot of it was quite hidden, because it has collected all that foliage and debris from that flood," she said.
"Especially estates where boomers or the older generation have owned the land, they might not be getting out there as much. So when it does change hands, I think it's a really good idea to get out there and have a look" and ideally, remove unnecessary wire fencing.
Bridget, one half of the 'Wildlife Twins', believes the trend of "unfencing" will play a crucial part in the future of conservation, as private landowners work to regenerate land and make their properties more amenable to native wildlife in an effort to create habitat corridors where animals can thrive.
"I think it's how wildlife is going to be conserved in the future to be honest," she told Yahoo. "I truly believe that'll make a difference."
It's an issue that multiple wildlife rescuers have spoken to Yahoo about, sharing countless stories of kangaroos and other animals including bats and birds, left stuck in barbed wire — often left to die a painful death.
"Usually there is about a case a day where there's [a kangaroo] trapped," one Victorian-based wildlife rescuer told Yahoo recently after responding when a mother kangaroo with a joey in her pouch was found dangling in a fence about an hour outside of Melbourne.
One new property owner, Doug Gimesy, who recently bought a property in regional Victoria also found a kangaroo stuck in his fence the day after taking over. The encounter, he told Yahoo earlier this year, ultimately prompted him to painstakingly remove the wire fencing from 17 kilometres of his Wongarra property — a job that took him a solid 10 months to complete.
Last week, the NSW government made the somewhat controversial decision to commit to legalising so-called virtual fencing — where livestock are fitted with a neckband that sends electric shocks and noises if an animals wanders outside a certain area.
Touted as a boost to farmers and the agricultural industry, the move will bring the state in line with Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory that also allow the practice but has raised concerns among animal welfare advocates.
By using GPS coordinates farmers will be able to rely on the technology rather than having to construct new or maintain existing fencing — and it could also pave the way for the removal of hazardous fencing for native wildlife.
"The NSW Government has listened... and will work with both industry and animal welfare groups to ensure we get the right balance for delivering virtual fencing on farms," NSW agricultural minister Tara Moriarty said.
"These changes seek to reduce costs for farming, and to enable agile paddock formation across land holdings to meet the needs of farmers while also protecting the welfare of cattle."
Andrea Harvey from the Sydney University School of Veterinary Science told the ABC the technology was "amazing" but cautioned it could make animals anxious, and if boundary lines were redrawn they would have to re-learn which would cause added discomfort.
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