Powerlines- like electric fences in the sky

Canals motorways, even minor roads, can divide animal populations and keep them separate from each other.

Vulnerable creatures are reluctant to cross firebreaks and forest tracks lest they be attacked by predators. A study in Britain showed that blue tits, living on opposite sides of sports fields, never met up; they were afraid to venture onto open ground.

High voltage power lines, it seems, have a similar effect. Many mammals and birds avoid them. Migrating reindeer change direction if they encounter a transmission line. Elephants give pylons a wide berth in Africa. It’s as if the cables were electric fences in the sky. But why should animals fear passive objects which are no threat to them? That question has intrigued scientists.