A sharp fence on the border with Belarus: will it not only stop the migrants, but will it also harm the beast?



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The photos there have sparked a debate in Lithuania in recent days.

It is true that they do not have the exact place or time of realization, so at first glance you may have the impression that the images are from the border of our country.

I tried to scratch

One of the first of these records appeared on the Lithuanian Hunters Union account “Gamta” on the social network “Facebook”.

Raimondas Ribačiauskas, president of this organization, began the short recording with a rhetorical question: “Who will protect the animals?”

It indicates that it understands that the flow of migrants forces the state to take immediate measures to protect the external border of the European Union (EU). However, it is doubtful whether all the measures taken have been adequately evaluated, not only from a political and economic point of view, but also from an environmental point of view.

“From the earliest days, I watched with horror the construction of the barbed wire fence,” writes the hunter. – This fence has the property of containing any life and causing fatal injuries.

Fence builders have apparently forgotten that the limits of wildlife populations do not have state lines, thousands of animals migrate back and forth across the border every day, migrating to places of feeding, lodging, estuary, grazing. winter or summer.

Many animals just jumped over the physical fence, but this cannot be done through a barbed wire fence. “

“Scanpix” / AP nuotr./Elnias

R.Ribačiauskas predicts that the fence to be built on the border will soon become a continuous reservoir of wild animals, especially large ungulates, whose main migration begins in August.

To strengthen the impression, the author of the publication added a red deer, whose hind legs are entangled in the type of wire that has been hung on a fence on the border between Lithuania and Belarus.

The legs of the deer are bloody, you can see the color of the already dried blood around. It can be understood that the beast is already dead.

“Let’s look into the eyes of this deer, it died in terrible suffering, soon there will be hundreds of these animals,” writes the hunter.

Glad you raised the issue

Although there is no inscription on the photo, where or when it was taken, in the context of current events it can give the impression that it is about the border with Lithuania.

However, commenters have already questioned whether this could be the case, especially given the unusual-looking bare trees and yellowing leaves that have fallen to the ground.

R.Ribačiauskas admitted that he had been misled: he received a photo from an anonymous person with an explanation that the Lithuanian border was captured on it, and only after learning the truth later. However, by advertising it wisely, he added neither time nor space.

Portal 15 minutes the head of the hunters union argued that this did not change the content of the post on the social network.

The photo is very good, it touches people’s hearts. I believe that the men in power will make decisions sooner so that this is no longer the case.

“The whole world is aware of the influence of this cable on the movement of wild animals and the possibility of grabbing and injuring,” said R. Ribačiauskas. – The problem is not the photo. She is just one example of what a fence does to wildlife as they move. They all recognized the problem: that she was killing the beast, that she needed to be raised. “

According to the interlocutor, the publication of the brutal video helped raise the issue. “The photo is very good, it touches people’s hearts. I believe that men of power will make decisions sooner so that this is no longer the case, ”he hoped.

It’s even better if the photograph is from somewhere else. “It can be said in the same way that the bombing is bad and we are against the war. But if we start demanding that half of Vilnius be blown up for the photo to be taken in Vilnius, that would be wrong, ”the hunter explained.

At the same time, he regretted that fencing caused one problem caused another. The situation is said to get worse in August-October, when the elk and deer will start. Then these beasts travel to Lithuania.

“I think we will have much more brutal images. The fence has an exciting property. Even if a boar sticks its nose into it and hooks it, there will be no way to escape. It turns and wraps itself around, ”said R. Ribačiauskas.

The view is of the Balkans.

An identical photo can be found alongside an article by journalist and environmental photographer Jim O’Donnell, in 2016. at the end posted on the Yale Environmental School website.

It is also said to show a deer trapped in a fence on the Slovenian-Croatian border. The author of the photograph is Dejan Kaps.

The article says that the influx of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa has forced the Balkan countries to build hundreds of kilometers of fences on their borders.

The cited scientists and conservationists explain that this is a great threat to wildlife, especially to animals that live in large areas such as bears and wolves.

Screenshot You can find more than one photo of a dead deer at google.com/Internet

Screenshot You can find more than one photo of a dead deer at google.com/Internet

The Dinaric Mountains in southeastern Europe are home to three of the largest carnivores on the continent: the European brown bear, the Eurasian wolf, and the Eurasian lynx. They roam freely in the forests from Greece to the Alps.

Djuro Huber, a biologist at the University of Zagreb, said he had counted 11 dead deer during a previous visit to the mountains on the Slovenian-Croatian border. They were all entangled in a fence. The beasts stumbled over the barrier and, trying to untangle themselves, only hurt themselves further until they finally died losing their blood. According to D. Huber, there were definitely more victims, but the border guards tried to get them out as soon as possible.

In this way, deer are more frequently killed, because bears or wolves looking for a mate, when faced with an obstacle, turn around and look for more accessible females. Therefore, not only can the fence be damaged, but it also becomes the cause of genetic isolation and increased kinship when the offspring are born with relatives.

Arno Strumila / Photo 15min / Spiral cut wire

Arno Strumila / Photo 15min / Spiral cut wire “Concertina”

But this is not just a European problem. Give 2011 conducted a study revealed that the fence on the US-Mexico border restricted the movement of 16 important species by 75 percent each. their areas of residence.

The spirally twisted wire used on the Lithuanian border does not have the spikes commonly seen, for example, in fences surrounding pastures, but rather a sharp blade.

The latter is made in such a way that it confuses the person or animal and restricts its movement. The gig is called a wire cut made of galvanized steel, harmful.

Offers to lift

In a closed group at the beginning of the week, the same photo with the caption appeared that was taken near Eišiškės. This and similar photos have been shared by many Facebook users.

Among them is the philosopher Gintaras Mažeikis. It is true that he emphasized that the photo attached to the record was not from Lithuania, but “hundreds of such photos of this terrible fence.”

“Can someone explain to me why barbed wire is pulled at the border for a concert? – ask his followers. – No furry animal will escape without being seriously injured, and most will die.

I would have understood if this terrible fence was above normal, like in prisons, but, as it is being done now, well, is it completely inhuman? ”.

AAD Photo / Associative Illustration: Deer Cub

AAD Photo / Associative Illustration: Deer Cub

In the words of the philosopher, this is a violation of the rights of all possible animals and their torture, because deer, hares, wild boars, foxes will continue to migrate. Trapped in a fence, they will not die immediately, but only after long suffering.

“It is not clear how much that fence will protect against refugees, but the ecosystem will be seriously damaged. From what I have read about this terrible fence, I agree with those calling for its use to be banned across the EU.

Those refugees are not so terrible (63 percent of women, including many children with disabilities, many of them flee not only because of poverty, but also because there is no other way to save the child. And I would run the same path. ). condemn animals to suffering “.

This photo has been published in several articles, such as here Y here.

The naturalist intercepted the fence

Well-known nature photographer ornithologist Marius Čepulis also responded to comments about the fence.

“Will the fence worsen animal travel, migration, the condition of populations? – Ask and answer on Facebook. – Without a doubt, yes, and very much.

Will the fence endanger any animal species? Disappear, definitely not. There will be local and temporary effects and it will take time to recover.

Why are fences bad? Animal habitats are being fragmented, travel to and from feeding grounds is being disrupted, annual migration is being disrupted (due to estrus, seasonal diets, etc.), genetic diversity is declining, fertility is increasing (inbreeding) and at the same time reduces resistance to disease.

Photo from the personal archive of Marius Čepulis / Marius Čepulis

Photo from the personal archive of Marius Čepulis / Marius Čepulis

Will all the animals get lost in the concertina (“barbed” wire)?

Yes, some will be lost. However, it should be understood that an animal cannot go unnoticed and become entangled when it comes to the fence.

Nor do they jump fences without appreciating the possibilities (although everything happens here). Very often, they are mistaken for grazing animals. This concert should later be erected on a fence 2-2.5 m high. And again, it is not the concert that is the problem, but the fact of the fence itself. “

M.Čepulis recalled that the roads are also fenced and the animals are constantly confused and killed on those fences, but this is the price for our safety.

“As a biologist, I say that the fence is really evil. As a citizen, knowing the situation and seriously evaluating the threats, I agree that national security is a priority here ”, he concluded.



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