NZ in Pictures: Intelligent Fence

Wellington, July 17th 2015

Sheep - New Zealand; New Zealand - Sheep. That was how I had been picturing New Zealand. But a visit to Zealandia Sanctuary scrapped off that picture. As a matter of fact, let alone sheep, there were no mammals at all in New Zealand. It was the Europeans who introduced sheep, cattle, and other mammals, including rats, into New Zealand. Some of these mammals turned into pest which destroyed the original habitat and brought some species into extinction. Hence, the main goal of Zealandia Sanctuary as I have mentioned in previous post, is to return the environment into pre-human time condition.

In order to achieve such a condition, a barrier is an absolute need. To name a few, possum, rat, cat, stoat, mouse, are the ones that have to be kept out of the sanctuary. I stand in full admiration understanding how the design of a groundbreaking fence was finally made. Had I not joint the Night Tour, I wouldn't have understood the beauty of mind behind the fence. I thought that was merely to distinguish territory of land, which belongs to Zealandia Sanctuary.

This is just a display about the fence's specification, if I can put it like that. The specification must see to it that each pest's skill can be outsmarted.

Let's see. How would a rabbit possibly enter the sanctuary? Right. By digging a tunnel and going through under the fence. To prevent that, a skirt for the fence is prepared. Thus, the rabbit won't be able to dig a hole.

How would a e.g. possum invite himself in? Right, by climbing up the fence. Hence, a curved top hat over the fence was built.

Small animals like weasels, don't dig a hole nor jump over the fence, but pushes itself through small aps. Hence, the design of the mesh.

Our Night Tour guide (ranger) giving explanation.

About height was also put into deliberate calculation.

Detailed design work was completed in 1998 and construction of the fence was completed in August 1999. It is formed on the inside of a 3 metre wide track and is 8.6 kilometres long, completely enclosing the Karori Reservoir Valley. (Zealandia Website)

Display of a trekking tunnel.

The fence didn't mean time to sit back and relax. In 2000, mice came back and reinvaded since. Don't ask me how. You are probably not surprise. Mice are mice. In 2004 and 2008 weasels were detected. Wow... I smell coffee... ooops. Hence, a tracking tunnel is invented.