Assessment of the Behavioural Response of Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) to Different Fence Heights

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The present study aimed to investigate the success rate of fences and classify the behavioural responses of Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) to different fence heights. The dominant behaviours before the deer crossed the fences by performing vertical and running jumps were recession and rest when the fence heights were lower or higher than 1.2 m, respectively. The general threshold (fence height) for discriminating success or failure was 0.9 m; however, we recommend a fence height of 1.5 m, considering the cost and roadkill risk. Placing exit pathways for deer and eliminating possible resting areas outside fences are essential for reducing the number of successful jump attempts. ABSTRACT: Fences have been widely implemented to reduce the risk of wildlife–vehicle collisions, wildlife disease spread, and crop damage. To manufacture fences, it is imperative to assess the behavioural responses of the target species. Here, we investigated the success rate of fences and classified eight behavioural responses of Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) to different fence heights. We explored the association of 801 behavioural responses and defined a threshold based on 40 events by applying non-metric multidimensional scaling and a binary logistic generalised linear mixed model. With fences lower and higher than 1.2 m, recession and rest were the dominant behaviours, respectively, before the deer crossed the fences by performing vertical and running jumps. Considering all independent events, 0.9 m was the marginal threshold, with highly variable outliers over this value. Placing exit pathways for deer and eliminating possible resting areas outside fences are essential for reducing the number of successful jump attempts. The optimal fence height could differ based on conditional factors; however, we recommend a height of 1.5 m considering the cost and roadkill risk. In conclusion, exploring and classifying the behavioural responses of the target species may be critical for establishing appropriate fence protocols.