Wildebeest movement responses to electric conservation fencing in the African Savannah ecosystem

Abstract

The construction of electric fences near protected area boundaries is increasingly used to reduce human–wildlife conflicts and conserve biodiversity. However, such fences can disrupt species' migratory patterns, such as those of wildebeests ( Connochaetes taurinus ), which depend on large‐scale movements to access resources. In the Serengeti ecosystem, a 30‐km electric conservation fence was constructed along the northern boundary of Ikorongo Game Reserve to deter black rhinos and elephants from entering human settlements. This study used GPS data to examine how the fence's presence was evaluated by assessing their space utilization, movement patterns, and behavior during the pre‐fence and post‐fence stages. Results showed increased space utilization near the boundary, especially in rocky habitats ( t  = 41.980, p < .001), reduced movement speeds (higher speed during the pre‐fence stage than during the post‐fence stage: t  = 3.902, p < .001), and more time spent encamped near the fence without affecting their movement direction ( t  = −0.041, p  = .967). These findings provide GPS‐based empirical evidence of how a newly constructed electric conservation fence alters migratory wildebeests, and show that effects are context‐dependent across habitat type, time of day, and distance to the boundary. While such fences can reduce human–wildlife conflict and support conservation goals, they must be carefully planned and managed to minimize disruptions to movement, behavior, and space use, and to maintain landscape connectivity.