Did you know that the Great Wall of China is not the longest wall in the world (2 photos)

On the territory of modern Australia there are at least two barbed wire fences of enormous length.





The first is the so-called rabbit fence No. 1, the construction of which began in 1907. The second is a dog fence that was built a couple of decades earlier. Its purpose is to fight dingoes. Metal mesh and barbed wire were used to build the fence.

Why was the dingo fence necessary?

In fact, the only wild animal in Australia is the wild dog, the dingo. It became a real problem for farmers on the continent, most of whom were engaged in sheep farming in the mid-19th century. Dingo dogs did great harm to the flocks, ruining them en masse, slaughtering dozens of sheep. Entire squads of hunters were sent to fight against predators, setting traps, conducting raids and shooting animals.

However, these activities did not produce tangible results, which prompted farmers to turn to poisons. There are records that at the end of the 19th century, in New South Wales alone, several tons of poisonous strychnine were used to fight dingoes. But everything is to no avail.

Dog fencing in Australian history



The measures taken did not stop the invasion of predatory animals, which prompted the authorities to begin construction of a mesh fence. Work began in 1880, with the fence running through lands in southern Queensland, where much of the area was used for pasture. In 1885, construction was completed, but for several more decades the structure was improved and grew. It was only in the 1960s that it took on its modern appearance after connecting several separate sections into a single chain. It is interrupted only on sections of highways.

The 8,500 km long structure uses metal mesh and barbed wire. They provide protection against dingoes and rabbits. The fence runs from Queensland to the Great Australian Bight, preventing animal migrations from the continent's arid north-west to the fertile lands of the south.

Today, a patrol service has been created to maintain the fence in working order. Its employees look for damage in the mesh, remove holes, and shoot dingoes that have made their way through the fence. The maintenance of the patrol service annually costs the budget of 3 states more than 15 million dollars.