Electric fences installed in the Ukrainian Carpathians promote human and large carnivores coexistence

Vyhoda native Volodymyr Danchuk is a forester at Mizynzke forestry. His office (administration building) located high in the mountain area and surrounded by a forest, also there is a bee-garden with 21 hives in it. It was these beehives and their contents that attracted the bear all the time. The animal has been visiting the apiary for the last three years and destroyed it.

“Last summer it destroyed almost all our beehives, only 10 bee families had survived. Our income from beekeeping almost has fallen to zero”. — Volodymyr explains the situation.

All this happened despite the beehives were situated near the forestry administration and were permanently guarded. This situation prompted Volodymyr Danchuk to look for a way to protect the apiary. The best solution was the electric fence provided by WWF Ukraine that was installed around the apiary in early spring 2019.

“The result of the electric fences, we have seen immediately — since it was installed, the bear once tried to get some honey, but he only tore two wires and ran away”. 

Why is it important for people like Volodymyr Danchuk to find a simple and effective way to protect their property? Bogdan Vykhor wildlife manager at WWF Ukraine, and coordinator of “Life. Euro large carnivores“ project, knows the answer:

“People who are doing traditional farming are socially-economically vulnerable — even one sheep, cow or beehive is a serious financial loss for them. And bears are vulnerable as well  — even one bear illegally killed by poachers or farmers is a threat to all the country population. That’s why finding and spreading solutions which could help both people and animals is crucial.

Electric fences  guarding against bears, lynxes and wolves work on the same principle. It helps to protect property and forces predators to look for easier food far from the people in the forests. As a result, we have what the Ukrainian proverb says “the wolves should be fed and the sheep kept safe”.