Electric fences in the enclosures of the Moscow Zoo

The open aviary of Asian lions in the Moscow Zoo has steep walls with an overhanging canopy, as well as a four-meter water moat. It would seem that this is enough to ensure the safety of visitors, the lions, as they say, will not get through. And so it was, while the only inhabitant of the aviary was the favorite of visitors, the five years old lion Max. But recently a three-year-old lioness Lina had been brought from Rotterdam to pair with him. Exploring the territory energetic girl jumped up as much as 4 meters and almost escaped.  

The zoo administration decided to make sure and put an impenetrable, but almost imperceptible barrier on the lions' way to freedom. The work was quickly and efficiently done by our specialists. Along the entire perimeter of the enclosure (about 160 meters), using a crane, we mounted an electric fence controlled by a special electric generator - the so-called electric shepherd.  

 

Asian lions enclosure at Moscow Zoo

The principle of operation of the device is simple. A pulse of electric current with a voltage of more than 11 thousand volts is sent through several wire electrodes running parallel to each other once a second. For animals, a very short electric shock is safe. But it is sensitive enough that there is no desire to receive it again.   

A modern and reliable Finnish-made Olli Protector 11 was used as an electric fence. The device detects the state of the electric fence around the clock and automatically adjusts the pulse power depending on temperature, humidity and other external conditions.     

Well, now we only have to worry about the success of Max and Lina's life together. The Moscow Zoo hopes that the couple will have a family relationship and that the exhibit will be enriched with lion cubs. 

Soon we mounted the same electric fence in the nearby enclosure of hyenas. The striped hyena, even among its congeners (only 4 species of hyenas are known), is not considered dangerous to humans, but it is still calmer with an electric fence. 

The photo clearly shows the hyena's stripes, powerful head, and standing large ears 

In April 2016, the electrical protection of the elephant enclosure, the perimeter of which is much larger than that of the hyenas and lions, was updated. 

Panorama of the summer elephant ground at Moscow Zoo

Despite the bad weather at the end of April - rain and wind, our specialists in a short time changed hundreds of meters of insulation of steel chains along the entire fence of the enclosure.

Almost five kilometers of galvanized wire was wound on top of the insulating material, to which the pulse current from the electric generator is fed. The generator itself was also replaced and mounted in a new electrical switchboard. Now we don't have to worry about the safety of visitors and elephants for a long time.

An elephant named Pamir in the winter exhibition