Donkey firefighters: How donkeys are used in Spain to prevent forest fires - PHOTO
Against the backdrop of large-scale forest fires that engulfed the southern regions of Europe this summer, Spain continues to use an unusual but effective method to reduce the risk of fire spread.
In the autonomous community of Catalonia, donkeys are used to clear areas of dry vegetation, which, according to experts, helps create natural firebreaks.
In recent years, the fight against forest fires has increasingly relied on modern technologies, including satellite monitoring, unmanned aerial vehicles and artificial intelligence systems. However, in mountainous areas about 130 kilometers south of Barcelona, a method based on the natural grazing of animals is being used.
This is handled by the nonprofit organization Tivissa Donkey Firefighters, located in southern Catalonia. Its activities combine two tasks at once: rescuing donkeys that have been abused or left without owners, and preventing forest fires. The animals graze freely on areas with dense vegetation, eating dry grasses and shrubs that become one of the main sources of fire spread in the hot season.
The organization's founder, Joan Sedo Sans, said the idea for the project arose after major fires occurred near his land in 2013. Later, he decided to test whether donkeys could clear forest undergrowth naturally. According to him, the results exceeded expectations; the animals almost completely destroyed the dry vegetation, significantly reducing the amount of flammable material.
The first donkeys arrived at Joan Sedo Sans's farm in 2020. Today the herd numbers 62 animals, which work on both private and public lands, clearing potentially dangerous areas. In addition to participating in fire prevention, the project provides rescued animals with constant care, veterinary assistance and safe housing conditions. Additional feed for the donkeys comes in the form of donations from local farmers and a nearby theme park.
According to the organizers, the project's activities are especially relevant against the backdrop of the worsening situation with natural fires. This year, the European Union recorded the largest forest fire season in the history of observations. In Spain alone, hundreds of thousands of hectares were destroyed by fire, and some fires became among the most destructive and deadly in recent years.
Experts note that donkeys readily eat plants that dry out quickly in summer and form so-called fine fuel — flammable plant mass that contributes to the rapid spread of fire. Thanks to constant grazing, the amount of such vegetation is significantly reduced, which lowers the likelihood of large fires.
The results of a number of scientific studies also indicate that controlled grazing by farm animals can be an effective and more economically advantageous addition to traditional fire protection measures, including clearing areas using specialized equipment.
