Well designed, installed and maintained, fences prevent wildlife getting onto transport infrastructure, reducing mortality and traffic accident risks. Fences must also guide animal movements towards entrances of fauna passages or any transversal crossing structures.
Screens are installed to reduce disturbances from traffic (light or noise) at wildlife passages or on road stretches with sensitive adjacent habitats. They may also help funnel bird and bat flight to suitable crossing structures. In all cases they must be clearly visible to avoid bird collisions.
Wildlife fences and screens must be regularly inspected and maintained to ensure their long-term performance. Repeated damage by fauna or vandalism at particular locations could require a change of design.
All fencing components (mesh, wires, poles, escape devices and cattle grids, where applicable) and all type of screens (e.g. noise barriers, and screens to funnel bird and bat flight) should be included in the inventory and the maintenance plan.
The following descriptive maintenance task sheets are provided in Section 7.4 – Maintenance tasks sheets: