Fence-related mortalities of Temminck's pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in South Africa quantified through a citizen science approach

Abstract

Fence mortalities threaten Temminck's pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) in South Africa. Temminck's pangolins are bipedal, which leads to contact between their unprotected abdomens and electrified wires. We report findings of an online survey of landowners, managers and conservationists to investigate associations between mortalities, fence type and fence perimeter-area ratio, and between mortalities and concern level reported by respondents. Of 14 recorded taxa, pangolins were the second most reported mortalities, with ground-level electric wired fences having a larger negative impact than other fence types.