BORDER FENCE: A NEW ECOLOGICAL OBSTACLE FOR WILDLIFE IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE
European Journal of Wildlife Research
Boštjan Pokorny; Katarina Flajšman; Laura Centore; Felix Srečko Krope; Nikica Šprem*
* University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Beekeeping, Game Management and Special Zoology, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
Table S1: List of all Slovene hunting grounds that border Croatia, with all relevant data (datacollected through direct contact with hunting ground representatives , i.e. by e-mail and/or phone, 7–12 March and 14–15 July 2016; hunting grounds are listed considering their geographical location, i.e. from northeast to southwest; see also Fig. 1).
Hunting ground / Hunting area (ha) / Length of the razor-wired fence (km) / Registered fence-related mortality: red deer (N) / Registered fence-related mortality: roe deer (N) / Registered fence-related mortality: other species (N) / Information on wildlife crossings over the fence / Information on openings in the fence for enabling wildlife crossings / Other observations and notesPetišovci / n.r.* / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Lendava / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Velika Polana / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
LPN Fazan Beltinci / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Ljutomer / 5,899 / 1.5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Kog – Vinski vrhovi / 3,241 / 10.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Roe deer: several crossings, without registered injuries. / Openings only near road passages. / Regular patrolling and reporting to the HAS.
Središče / 3,060 / 12.9 / 0 / 2 / 0 / Wild boar: several times, direct observation of sow and piglets crossing. Roe deer: confirmed indirectly, by snared hair on the fence. / No openings. / Regular patrolling. Warning tape at the fence. Problems may be expected in the event of overflow of the Drava River.
Ormož / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Velika Nedelja / 3,062 / 5.0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / Wild boar: crossings without any difficulties. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, one registered roe deer casualty. Problems may be expected in the event of overflow of the Drava River.
Bresnica – Podgorci / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Zavrč / n.r. / 0.3** / / / / / / / / / / / Razor-wired fence over only 300 m in the close vicinity of the border cross-points, though there is 1.5 km of solid mesh fence in the hunting ground.
Cirkulane / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Leskovec v Halozah / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Podlehnik / n.r. / 0.1** / / / / / / / / / / / Razor-wired fence over only 70 m in the close vicinity of the border cross-point, though there is 1.0 km of solid mesh fence in the hunting ground.
Žetale / n.r. / 0.2** / / / / / / / / / / / Razor-wired fence only in the distance of 250 m in the vicinity of the border cross-point.
Rogatec / 4,639 / 12.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Wild boar: one registered crossing underthe fence. / Openings only near road passages. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Rogaška Slatina / 4,373 / 6.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Red fox: several crossings, confirmed indirectly by footprints. / Openings only near road passages and streams. However, the fence is not fully contiguous, hence it is not impermeable. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Pristava pri Mestinju / 3,587 / 1.2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Red fox and European hare: several crossings, confirmed indirectly by footprints in the snow. / The fence is relatively short-lined, roe deer successfully cross the border at several other locations. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Podčetrtek / 3,382 / 13.0 / 0 / 1 / 0 / Red fox: several crossings, confirmed indirectly by footprints in the snow. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, one roe deer mortality.
Kozje / 6,526 / 1.2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Bistrica ob Sotli / 2,955 / 12.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties. However, there are concernsregarding otter and beaver.
Bizeljsko / 2,694 / 10.0 / 0 / 3 / 0 / Not observed. / No openings. / Three roe deer carcasses found entangled in the fence, two females in November and December 2015, and a male in March 2016.
Kapele / 2,049 / 9.2 / 0 / 1 / 0 / Wild boar: crossings without any difficulties. / No openings. / Without difficulties, though hunting was ceased in the border area immediately after construction of the fence. Several days after construction a roe deer doe was found entangled in the fence.
Dobova / 2,096 / 4.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / No openings; however, the most vital habitat is un fenced, therefore roe deer cross the border without any difficulties. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Mokrice / 2,457 / 5.5 / 1 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, a yearling red deer hind was found dead in the fence in November 2015.
Čatež ob Savi / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Cerklje ob Krki / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Podbočje / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Kostanjevica na Krki / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Šentjernej / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Orehovica / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Brusnice (Trdinov vrh) / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Gorjanci / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Suhor / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Metlika / 4,742 / 7.0 / 0 / 0 / Grey heron: 2 / Wild boar: one crossing confirmed indirectly, by snared hair on the fence. / The fence was removed in mid-January 2016. / Without any difficulties, though hunting was ceased in the border area immediately after construction of the fence.
Gradac / 3,684 / 12.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / The fence was removed in mid-January 2016. / Without any difficulties, though hunting was ceased in the border area immediately after construction of the fence.
Adlešiči / 5,141 / 7.3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Brown bear: one crossing was confirmed indirectly, by snared hair on the fence. Wild boar: confirmed crossing on 6 January 2016 (direct observation). / - / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Vinica / 6,286 / 13.3 / 1 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / The fence was removed in mid-January 2016. / A middle-aged red deer hind was found dead due to the fence in the Kolpa River in December 2015.
Sinji Vrh / 4,221 / 2.7 / 3 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / The fence was removed in mid-January 2016. / Two red deer (a hind and a stag) were found dead in the fence in December 2016; another hind was found and shot injured (without one leg) away from the fence.
Predgrad / 4,883 / 5.0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / Not observed (not even in the openings). / Several small (10 m) openings were made by citizens, but no wildlife crossings were confirmed. The fence was removed in mid-January 2016. / An old hind was found dead in the fence in December 2016. A solid mesh fence was constructed in spring 2016 instead of the razor-wired fence.
LPN Snežnik / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Banja Loka – Kostel / 4,903 / 16.0 / 6 / 0 / 0 / Brown bear: one crossing confirmed indirectly, by snared hair on the fence. / Several openings were left, and are intensively used bywildlife. / Good collaboration with police, therefore several openings were made in the fence. Despite this, four red deer hinds were found dead in January 2016, after the Kolpa River flowed over the fence. In one case, a hind was pursued by a dog. In February 2016, one individual managed to escape injured. The carcasses of two red deer females (yearling and young hind) were found in the fence in summer 2016.
Osilnica / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Draga / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Loški potok / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Babno polje / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
LPN Jelen / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Kozlek / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Zemon / 4,472 / 0.4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Wild boar: crossings without any difficulties. / The fence is short-lined, openings are not needed. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Bukovca / 5,513 / 1.5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / The fence is relatively short-lined, openings are not needed. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Brkini / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Žabnik Obrov / 5,598 / 0.6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / The fence is short-lined, openings are not needed. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Slavnik Materija / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Kojnik Podgorje / 5,762 / 3.0 / 1 / 0 / 0 / Wild boar: several crossings were confirmed indirectly, by snared hair on the fence. / No openings. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Istra Gračišče / 6,386 / 1.1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Not observed. / The fence is relatively short-lined, openings are not needed. / Regular patrolling, without any difficulties.
Marezige / n.r. / 0.0 / / / / / / / / / / / Without border fence.
Šmarje / 4,428 / 5.0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / Roe deer: confirmed indirectly, by snared hair on the fence. / The fence is not fully contiguous, hence it is not impermeable. / Without any difficulties.
Strunjan / n.r. / 0.2** / / / / / / / / / / / Razor-wired fence over only 200 m in the close vicinity of the border cross-points.
In total / 116.138 / 178.4 / 13 / 8 / 2 (grey herons) / / / / / /
NOTES:
* n.r. – not relevant;
** Hunting grounds (4, total fence length of 0.8 km) in which the razor-wired fence was erectedonly near border cross-points, i.e. not in natural habitats, wereexcluded from analyses.