Electric Fences are a new replacement for scarecrows: modern technologies made available to villages by Viva-MTS

There are 15 rural settlements in the enlarged community of Vayk. None of them are safe from unexpected visits of bears. The traditional method of protecting farms from clumsy bears is already outdated: the scarecrows placed near orchards, domestic animals and beehives do not have any impact. The bears ignore the humble location of scarecrows and start hunting for food. Natalya Poghosyan, who has been engaged in beekeeping together with her husband for more than two decades, was convinced of this, like many other people.

“I sewed a scarecrow and dressed it as a person, but it still did not help. The bear came, smashed without being afraid at all”. This year, for the first time, we were presented with an electric fence and we were told that it will keep bears away. We have been observing all this time, the bear has not come yet, it has not caused any harm”, Natalya Poghosyan said.

The enlarged community of Vayk has excellent conditions for the development of beekeeping. The number of beehives here reached 1500-2000. The clumsy bears are able to quickly navigate themselves where to go after dark. If the result of one night attack for them is only 3-4 beehives, then for the farmer – a significant financial loss. The cost of one beehive is 60-80 thousand drams. In recent days, 9 beehives were damaged in 3 villages.

To mitigate the human-wildlife conflict, three years ago, Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) offered farmers a modern technological solution to protect the necessary space. In 5 communities of Vayots Dzor Marz, the territories that were attacked by animals have begun to be protected by electric fence. As part of the “Eco Villages Network” project, the Vayk community received two systems, the number of which has increased by 4 this year. The people who use these systems have already informed about the difference.

“This year we received 4 systems and gave them to the beekeepers, because last year the bear severely damaged the beehives. The advantage of these electric fences is that they are very easy to install and can be moved and installed elsewhere in just 15-20 minutes when needed. They do not harm the animal and nature, and the beekeepers sleep peacefully at night because they know that the bear will not come to their territories” said Mkhitar Matevosyan, head of enlarged community of Vayk.

Sanasar Movsisyan’s family received one of the electric fences systems. The couple who move to the mountains in springtime will return to the village in autumn. They spend the night in a cabin located in the mountains, without worrying about the appearance of bears. They hope that their expectations about the electric fence will be confirmed.

An electric fence works with high voltage but low current (amperage). As a result, the animals are not physically harmed, but feeling unpleasant, they no longer approach the fenced areas.