As wildfires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in southwest Europe, southwest Canada and the western U.S., the search goes on for ways to prevent them in the future. One solution might be in the hands, or hooves, of goats.
These mammals might sound like unlikely firefighters. But they provide a “cost-effective and environmentally sound way” to prevent conflagrations by clearing shrubbery that would “otherwise feed a wildfire instead of a hungry herd,” said the Los Angeles Times. In California, where the size and intensity of wildfires have increased in recent years, 400 goats and 100 sheep have been deployed in Fresno to graze on yellow star thistle, a weed that can help to spread fires.
Goats are “particularly effective” at suppressing flammable flora as they “happily consume” thorny shrubbery that other animals tend to avoid, while sheep excel at eating grasses and low-growing plants, said The Times of India. “Together, they provide an environmentally friendly alternative to bulldozers, lawnmowers and herbicides, especially on uneven or difficult terrain.” The ruminant grazers also consume seeds and leaves, limiting plants’ ability to spread further.
There may be practical and regulatory hurdles to increased grazing. But this summer’s wildfires in Europe have been the “most painful manifestation” of the “climate emergency,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at a recent climate conference. If these extreme crises are “no longer an exception” but the rule, we need to look at solutions for future prevention. |
