Gallagher fencing keeps Hamilton Cheetah’s safe

What do you use to enclose four cute and furry Cheetah that can reach land speeds of up to 130km/h and jump up to three metres high in the air? A Gallagher fencing system.

When Hamilton Zoo needed to upgrade its cheetah enclosure to prepare for the arrival of their four young cheetah boys, Radi, Bomani, Manni and Denzel, they decided to use Gallagher products.

Hamilton Zoo Asset Manager, Jesse Golden, says the zoo transferred the boys from Taronga Dubbo Western Plains Zoo, in Australia, but their journey to Hamilton is only one small part of the story. Hamilton Zoo staff worked for nearly 12 months beforehand to create the perfect enclosure for them.

“There was a really detailed design process we went through which involved seeing what has been learned in the past and what other zoos are doing with their cheetah. We also knew we wanted a closer experience for our visitors,” says Jesse.

The boys arrived in Hamilton in early April and have settled in well to their new home. Denzel, Radi and Bomani are brothers, while Manni was born one month earlier at Monarto in South Australia.

“The boys have settled in beautifully. They were happy to be reunited after the flight and there was plenty of purring, yelps, barks and grooming each other,” says Jesse.

Jesse says Hamilton Zoo settled on a Gallagher fencing system as they were confident it could safely contain their four young cheetah, while still offering a great viewing experience for their visitors.

“We added more viewing windows to the enclosure to create a closer experience for visitors, but we also used a black mesh fence which is easier to see through and easier for visitors to take photos through,” says Jesse.

The cheetah fence was installed by Barakat Contractors.

Owner Dale Barakat says about 1km of Gallagher High Conductive Lead Out Wire and Gallagher Double Insulated Cable was used in the project which saw them add three offset electrified wires around the enclosure.

“We used the Gallagher Wood Post Live Tip Offset at the top of the fence, through the middle and at the bottom and Gallagher Double Insulated Cable to set it all up. It’s electrified using a Gallagher MBS800 Multi Powered Energizer,” says Dale.

The job also involved digging a trench around the enclosure and filling it with rock and installing wooden boards to the bottom of the fence and digging them into the ground so the boys can’t dig themselves out of the enclosure.

Right beside the boys’ new home are the Giraffe, Zebra, Goats and Deer, says Jesse.

“The boys are in their enclosure and they can see through to their neighbours. They have been really interested in the Zebra and looking at them a lot.”

Jesse says the new fence looks stunning.

“The boys are very happy in their new environment and we are very happy with the new fence that we know is keeping them safe,” says Jesse.