Fladry


Fladry is a line of rope mounted along the top of a fence, from which are suspended strips of fabric or colored flags that will flap in a breeze, intended to deter wolves from crossing the fence-line. Fladry lines have been used for this purpose for several centuries, traditionally for hunting wolves in Eastern Europe. They are effective temporarily, as the novelty may soon wear off, usually between three and five months, and can be used to protect livestock in small pastures from wolves.
This technique is sometimes also used to alert horses and cattle to the presence of a fence, as the use of smoothwire fences and one strand of electric may not be seen by an animal unfamiliar with a new home.

In culture

Russian singer and songwriter Vladimir Vysotsky mentions fladry in his famous song "Wolf Hunt". Fladry is used here as a symbol of treacherous attitude of hunters towards the animals, but it may be understood as a metaphor of the stance of powers-that-be towards the people of free spirit. The "Wolf Hunt" was one of the most famous songs in the USSR in the 1970s.