Report on fencing

Firstly the area needs to be prepared before any work can be done. This includes boundary beacons. We did not apply this first step because the old fence already had its beacons. The area was already cleared or de-bushed and the ground was already level.

The task at hand was to replace an old fence because it has been broken through. The terrain is semi open plains and it is next to a dirt road. We had a variety of materials that were used: pliers, y-standards, droppers, binding wire, blue wire, side-cutters, wire puller, gripples and a gripple tong. We also made use of a ladder for the high lines. The wild game were to stay outside this section and the cattle were to stay inside this fenced section.

The standard given is that there must be 15 lines and the space between them broadens going up. Every 1m is a dropper, every 10m is a y-standard and every 100m is an anchor post. The fence was erected on the exact line of the previous fence. No electrification is needed and there is no river crossing in this stretch of land. We dismantled the broken fence by rolling up the old wires neatly so it can be reused if in good enough condition. The old droppers were also taken out and will be reused in another fence. This reusable wire and droppers will be stored in the "pale kamp" so everyone has access to it if needed. We removed the wires starting at an anchor post and cutting it if it gets too tangled to collect further.

As far as monitoring goes we will be driving past this fence at least twice a week due to tasks that need to be done in the veld. When passing we will look if modifications need to be done and check the effectiveness of the fence. Monitoring will take place on a regular basis and any activity will be reported.

This will be a written report to management witch will be written after the fence is completed explaining to them what has been done and used. This will be kept on record for follow up procedures if necessary.
To fore come this from happening again we need to adjust the fence in such a way that the cause of break does not happen again. Animals broke through the fence so we need to apply something that catches their attention. A suggestion would be shiny metal pieces or CD's. If a hole occurs in the new fence it is most likely warthogs. We can make highways in the fence at designated places so this problem does not occur. Fixing one line with a 90 degree or a gripple is not difficult but if it is broken because of animals that worm their way through we need to add more lines to narrow the spaces.

The stretch of fence we fixed was surrounded by Sondela grounds, therefor an internal fence. If it were an external/ neighboring fence specifications would have to be made so small animals would not escape. Poaching could also easily take place therefor the fence needs to be checked regularly.
The fence needs to be very sturdy and strong enough to keep in your big animals. The reason for this is because they cause a lot of damage and could injure someone witch can cost you a lot of money. To establish a good neighboring relationship you need to talk/ communicate about problems and solutions. You need a good relationship with the surrounding communities to live peacefully.

Maintaining the fence would include doing regular checks and fixing it according to the prescribed standard. There was no river crossing but if any weakness occurs it must be identified and corrected using the appropriate techniques, tools and equipment.