Australia creates world’s largest cat-proof fence

Electrified fence creates a predator-free area of almost 23,200 acres.

Michael d’Estries

Australia’s new cat fence will provide some much-needed protection for 11 nationally threatened mammals including the mala, the bilby and the black-footed rock-wallaby. (Photo: Australian Wildlife Conservancy/Facebook)

Feral foxes and cats eager for a quick meal in the wilds of central Australia have a new formidable obstacle to contend with.

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has put the finishing touches on the world’s largest cat-proof fence, a 27-mile-long enclosure of electrified wire and netting encompassing more than 23,000 acres. Called the Newhaven wildlife sanctuary, this former cattle station has been transformed into a haven for 11 critically endangered marsupials, birds and other threatened species…