Hungry goats to the rescue in fire-ravaged Catalonia

Hotter, drier weather due to the climate crisis is causing more frequent and more intense heatwaves around the world, and with them, come greater incidences of wildfires.

As Europe swelters in the grip of one of the most intense heatwaves and droughts in centuries, various methods of dealing with the fire risk from tinder-dry vegetation are being deployed.

Some shops have stopped selling disposable barbecues blamed for starting some fires; beavers in Somerset are helping regenerate wetlands and keep groundwater levels up; in the US, the world’s most advanced fire-fighting aircraft can deliver over 6,000l of water to major wildfires.

But in Spain, a new generation of shepherds are putting their flocks of sheep and goats to work – nibbling the undergrowth in a bid to reduce vegetation which otherwise could accumulate as fuel, which could cause more intense fires.

Four flocks of goats and sheep have been deployed in the Serra de Collserola Natural Park, which borders a significant part of central Barcelona, in an effort to reduce the fire risk.

The animals’ grazing leaves behind large open spaces with few plants, which can help act as fire breaks.

Catalonia has been one of the hardest hit regions this summer, with a single wildfire burning over 3,000 acres in less than 24 hours when temperatures rose to over 40C at the end of July.

Guillem Canaleta, of the Pau Costa Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to minimising fire risks, has been using goats and sheep to tackle wildfires since 2016 and said the method is a traditional land management technique.

“What we’re doing is recovering something that already existed and that was disappearing,” he told reporters.

Similar methods are also in use in parts of California, Portugal and British Columbia, with goats, sheep and cattle among the animals used to strip the landscape back to create open areas less susceptible to combustion.

In Spain, the method is being studied as part of an official pilot in partnership with the Catalan government and the Central University of Catalonia.

According to recent reports, becoming a shepherd for a “fire flock” is a growing career opportunity, with the rising fire risk posed by the climate crisis inspiring some young people to become acquainted with animal husbandry.

The demographic shift towards cities from the countryside is believed to have increased some fire risks, with fewer people now managing rural areas.

Dani Sanchez, 35, told US public radio station The World, that his fire flock tidies up the forest better than any machine.

He said: “My sheep and goats are firefighters. They’re our firewall.”

But he said in order to make a bigger difference more flocks are needed.

It is unclear if similar methods could reduce wildfires in other environments.

In the UK, the overabundance of browsing animals such as sheep and deer is one reason why the country is among the most nature-depleted areas of the whole world – as woodlands are unable to regenerate due to shoots and saplings being eaten. This process worsens the climate crisis, by reducing the amount of carbon which could be stored in forested areas, and also takes a heavy toll on biodiversity.