What is the Dingo Fence?

The Dingo Fence is a physical fence in southeastern Australia that spans more than 3,400 miles. As the name indicates, the Dingo Fence was built by European colonizers in the mid- to late 1800s to deter wild dogs, known as dingoes, from entering the fertile southeastern part of the country that became the base of sheep farming operations.

Though the Dingo Fence is a relatively low-tech solution that was implemented in the 19th century, it is still standing and functional as of 2015. The fence stretches through mostly remote areas in the region known as the outback, physically blocking dingoes from entering areas where grazing animals are kept.