Fladry

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Illustration of Fladry use Fladry line.jpg
Illustration of Fladry use

Fladry is a rope mounted along the top of a fence, from which are suspended strips of fabric or colored flags, that will flap in a breeze. They are intended to deter wolves from crossing the line. [1] Fladry lines have been used for this purpose for several centuries, traditionally for hunting wolves in Eastern Europe. [1] They may be used to protect livestock in small pastures from wolves [1] and coyotes. [2] They are effective temporarily, as the novelty may soon wear off once the line has been crossed, and particularly if the strips are coiled by the wind. [3] The fladry lines can also be electrified, making so-called "turbo fladry". [4]

Sometimes this technique is used to alert horses and cattle to the presence of a fence, as the use of smoothwire fences and one strand of electric may not be seen by an animal unfamiliar with such.

The use of fladry also has been suggested among techniques to prevent wolves from being attracted to dead stock that may be in conditions that make it difficult for ranchers to remove or bury the carcasses, [5] which endangers the livestock herd once the wolves are attracted.

In culture

The Soviet singer and songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980) mentions fladry in his famous song "Wolf Hunt  [ ru ]"; 1968). Fladry is understood as a metaphor of the stance of powers-that-be toward the people of free spirit, and the singer sees "crossing the fladry" as a salvation (for volves, in the song, but huis listeners knew what he meant). [6] The "Wolf Hunt" was one of the most famous songs in the Soviet Unionduring the 1970s. [7] :156

References

  1. 1 2 3 Musiani, Marco; MAMO, C.; BOITANI, L.; CALLAGHAN, C.; GATES, C. C.; MATTEI, L.; VISALBERGHI, E.; BRECK, S.; VOLPI, G (2003). "Wolf Depredation Trends and the Use of Fladry Barriers to Protect Livestock in Western North America" . Conservation Biology. 17 (6): 1538–1547. Bibcode:2003ConBi..17.1538M. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2003.00063.x. S2CID   86753942.
  2. "Improving Fladry for Use with Coyotes". Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  3. Maness, Carson (2016-06-02). "Improvements to fladry". The Wildlife Society. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  4. "Wolves and Livestock: Tools Like Turbo Fladry Prevent Losses". NRDC. 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
  5. Levy, Max G., These Non-Lethal Methods Encouraged by Science Can Keep Wolves From Killing Livestock , Smithsonian, January 11, 2021
  6. Александр Карпенко, Маг черно-белой эпохи (о Владимире Высоцком)
  7. Beumers, Birgit (2009). A History of Russian Cinema. Oxford, UK: Berg Publishers. ISBN   978-1-84520-215-6.