The control of fox movement by electric fencing

On the Sands of Forvie National Nature Reserve, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, a low electric fence was tested as a barrier to foxes preying on sandwich terns and eiders. The fence was an effective deterrent, reducing fox visits to the general area by over two-thirds and turning back about 60% of those which did visit. Fox activity beyond the fence was thus reduced to about 16% of that expected without the fence. Crossing of the fence was rare (6% of encounters) but foxes were able to pass round the ends of the fence on unprotected intertidal areas. Where this became common and predictable it enabled selective removal of an individual fox causing damage, since the fence steered the animal to a predictable place.