Known is some areas as The Dingo Barrier. In others- Western Australia- as The Rabbit Proof Fence. This is the longest stretch of fencing in the world. It was built from 1880-1885 and its purpose was to keep the dingoes out of SE Australia and protect the sheep flocks of Southern Queensland. The Fence is 3,500 miles long and runs from sea across the state of South to the sea.
To put this in perspective...this is like running a fence from New York to San Francisco...and then continuing to fence another 500 miles into the Pacific Ocean.
Most of the barrier fence is close to 6 feet high and several sections are even electrified.
The greatest threat to the fence today is sections flattened (and repaired) because of the number of feral camel...and flooding during the winter rains.
It was originally built to exclude rabbits...and later reinforced to repel the wild dogs.
Great video on The Barrier Fence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPE5qxt413U
Parts of the fence are illuminated at night with solar powered lights.
The upkeep is maintained by ranchers whose property is bordered by the fence and regular patrol...whose job is to make sure it is intact/repaired.
Any dingo pelt fetches a $10. bounty.
Although their numbers are still nearly 200,000 most of the pureblood dingoes are gone and the remaining are dingo/domestic dog hybrids now.
A fact lamented by conservationists who say that soon the pure dingo population will be extinct...but applauded by the ranchers, who have had to deal with the decimation of their flocks to this predator.
More anon.
