In an attempt to prevent an outbreak of swine fever, Germany's Agriculture Ministry is putting up electric fences to stop wild boars from crossing its border with Poland.
The first fences were erected alongside the border with Poland on Friday near the city of Guben, in the German Land of Brandenburg.
The German Ministry of Consumer Protection has said it is focusing is on the Spree-Neisse and Oder-Spree districts as well as the City of Frankfurt (Oder).
The fences are 90 centimetre high and expected to remain for a limited period of time, which will depend on the spreading risk situation in the areas of the Neisse and Oder rivers.
Installing the fences will cost around 160,000 euros to the German state. The districts will manage the details of the construction.
"The restrictive zone extends now from the Polish side to the German border", Ursula Nonnemacher, Germany's minister for environmental protection, has said. "We hope that these fences will offer a certain protection"
No case of African swine fever (ASP) has been observed in Germany so far, but more than 50 cases have been detected in dead wild boars on the Polish side of the border.
Swine fever is not a health risk for humans.
The detection of ASP in Germany could result in strong restrictions on pigmeat exports to non-EU countries.
