Unnecessary wire fences from the former building debris landfill in Hellange will be removed, after hunters shared graphic footage of dying deer with the Ministry of the Environment.

Wire fences can present a potentially fatal trap to wild animals. Animals can easily become entangled in them, especially during hunting season, and are frequently unable to free themselves.

At the Hellange exit along the A13, nature has been reclaiming the site of the debris landfill that was closed in 2018. As a form of compensation, the site's owner and operator planted new vegetation adjacent to the forest and used sheep as "sustainable lawnmowers." Wire fences have been installed around the property to prevent sheep from running into the motorway and to protect the saplings from wild animals. However, after inspecting the area, Claude Origer, in charge of hunting affairs at the Ministry of the Environment, remarked that "solutions must be found to protect the safety of animals."

The goal is to ensure that no deer become entangled in wire fences in the future, Origer told RTL.lu. Our colleagues also spoke with numerous hunters, who confirmed that this has been happening on a regular basis for the past two years. The hunters shared graphic footage that they recorded with their phones with the Ministry, which shows startled deer attempting to jump over the wire fence only to become caught in it. The owner is said to have agreed to remove any unnecessary wire fences within two weeks. For instance, some of the fences were put up to protect a pond, despite the fact that there is no need to do so. The wire fence along the motorway, as well as the wire mesh fence put up by the Bridges and Roads Authority, will remain in place for security reasons. The fences will be reduced to 70 cm in height to allow deer, but not sheep, to jump over them without being injured.

Only the wildlife passage will be widened, according to Michel Leytem, district head at the Nature and Forest Agency (ANF). Leytem explains that this is important in the context of the wildlife viaducts over the A3 and A13. He went on to say that the same type of wire is used in other places to preserve tree saplings.

Wooden fences have been gaining popularity recently. "We simply have too much wildlife," Leytem said, adding that wooden fences are the obvious choice for smaller spaces. However, Leytem does not rule out the possibility that the ANF will need to use wires "from time to time" in larger areas.

Link: Artikel an der Aargauer Zeitung

Link: Artikel op Blick.ch