Take action for nature: don't sit on the fence

The 8.6km fence surrounding the sanctuary was a world first and prevents all kinds of mammalian predators from entering the sanctuary, providing safety for rare and endangered native species. But how did it come to be? And how can you support the protection it provides?

The design process began in 1993, when a group of conservation managers, scientists and engineers gathered to study a variety of existing fence designs. However, none were suitable to exclude mammals, so the decision was made to come up with a brand-new design for what would become Zealandia.  

Testing the fence against mammalian predators began in 1994 and included testing their capabilities such as jumping, climbing, digging and passing through different size gaps.  

The trials resulted in four distinctive designs. The chosen design was the simplest, most robust and easiest to install. There are three parts to the design: the curved top hat, wire mesh wall, and underground skirt.  

The curved top hat stops climbing predators scaling the fence, the underground skirt prevents burrowing mammals, and the tightly-woven mesh is fine enough that most mammals can’t get through (the only exception to this is baby mice). The fence is also high enough so that jumping animals can’t get over. 

This fence design was completely new, and now it can be seen in various sanctuaries around the country.  

Our fence was internationally groundbreaking. It has protected native species for 25 years and it now needs attention to last another generation. We are slowly beginning to refurbish the fence, starting with a small section to pilot how this will be done. 

The geotechnical work has been completed in this pilot area. A combination of window sampler boreholes and machine boreholes were logged and provided to our project partners GHD, for analysis. We are immensely grateful for the continued support of our partners GHD, who are instrumental in this project. They are generously providing pro-bono expert advice and support to enable the fence to keep rare native species safe. This work will help inform the geotechnical design of the new posts and the stability of the slope going forward. 

This work is our opportunity to reimagine the fence. To review its success and make sure it continues protecting what was once lost.  We once thought that seeing kākā in the city would be an amazing achievement – now it’s an everyday sight.

As part of our community, we need your help. The fence still has an important role in keeping precious native species safe and your donation will help us to continue this important work. 

Don’t sit on the fence. Donate now.