Beyond firefighting planes: Spain recruits donkeys and goats to combat wildfires
In Spain's mountainous regions, authorities are using a creative solution to mitigate wildfire risks: deploying GPS-tracked donkeys and goats to clear dry vegetation. These animals, covering up to 19 km daily, serve as an effective line of defense against the spread of massive fires.
High summer temperatures in Spain have accelerated the outbreak of devastating forest fires across the country. While summer in urban areas is synonymous with vacation and relaxation, in Spain's villages and mountains, it brings heightened alert and the fear of destruction that takes years to recover from. According to EuroNews, nearly one million dunams burned in Spain last year—the worst figure in 30 years. The primary fuel for these fires is 'forest fuel': the shrubland, weeds, and dry organic material that provide perfect ignition sources.
Local authorities have turned to a creative solution: deploying GPS-tracked donkeys to clear the brush. The animals wear tracking collars and walk up to 19 kilometers a day, clearing up to 10,000 dunams in nature reserves. By consuming tough vegetation, they reduce the likelihood of flames spreading. In Benarrabá (Málaga), the municipality is expanding an urban herd of goats guided by electronic fencing that trains the animals to remain within assigned zones.
'Obviously, planes and helicopters are needed, but the solution starts much earlier, with prevention. You have to act in the winter,' said Mayor Silvestre Barroso.
The animals wear Norwegian-made collars controlled by a mobile app. When they approach an invisible boundary, the system plays a melody, follows with beeps, and only activates a minimal electrical stimulus if they advance further.
In Tarragona, the 'Tarrbissa Donkeys Firefighter' project now includes 62 animals rotating in plots of 150 to 250 dunams, led by an alpha female. The operation began in 2021 with three abandoned donkeys. In Huelva, the 'El Burrito Feliz' group manages 12 'fire-preventing' donkeys. Founder Luis Manuel Díaz Bejarano emphasizes the donkeys' selective appetite for dry grass compared to other livestock but warns that reliance on private funding limits the program's scope, according to 'La Razón'.
However, this is not a magic solution. Proper forest planning, land resource management, and the gradual replacement of highly flammable tree species remain essential to ensure it is not too late.
