In Spain, a traditional method of fire prevention is gaining traction: grazing donkeys in fire-prone areas, reports CNN. This year’s wildfires in Southern Europe have been more extensive than in previous years. In Avila, Spain, the largest fire in the country’s history was recorded, burning at least 50,000 hectares. The search for effective fire prevention methods has become particularly urgent, even as some solutions rely on modern technology.
Donkeys prefer dry grasses that wither in the summer and have a substantial appetite. By consuming dry vegetation that is highly flammable and accelerates fire spread, they help mitigate the risk of large-scale fires, explains Jordi Bartolomé Filella, a researcher in herbivorous animal ecology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). “It is difficult to guarantee that fires will not occur due to livestock grazing. But this can reduce the intensity of fires and thus facilitate their extinguishing,” he says.
Effectiveness and Savings
Research has shown, CNN reports, that animals that naturally create firebreaks during grazing can be more cost-effective than creating such strips with machinery. About 130 kilometers north of Barcelona, donkeys have been aiding in fire prevention since 2020.
This project was initiated in 2020 by the non-profit organization Tivissa Donkey Firefighters, which cares for abandoned donkeys and employs them in fire prevention efforts. According to the organization’s founder, Joan Cedó Sans, the herd now consists of 62 donkeys. “We are grateful to the animals. We believe they deserve a second chance,” he says.
Spreading the Practice
The Tivissa Donkey Firefighters project was inspired by the organization El Burrito Feliz, considered a pioneer in this field. Since 2014, it has involved donkeys in grazing on the outskirts of Doñana National Park in southern Spain. More similar initiatives are emerging across the country, CNN reports. In northwest Spain, the region most susceptible to fires, a project to reintroduce wild horses to their natural environment is also underway.
Source: Dagens Nyheter
