Electric Mats Protect Runways From Wildlife

0

A full-grown moose can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, so if one wanders across a runway while you are landing your Cessna 172, that’s not a good thing. The Wasilla Airport, about 40 miles north of Anchorage, has found a solution — an electric anti-moose mat. The Electro-Mat, which was first tested against deer in Arizona, emits both a shock and noise when the animal steps on it. The shocks are not harmful and the method is humane, according to Gary Olson of the Alaska Moose Federation. “The animals remember after they are shocked a couple times not to go near it anymore,” he said. The manufacturer, Electro-Braid Fence of Canada, says the mats are also effective against deer, and are cheaper than trying to maintain perimeter fencing.

LEAVE A REPLY