A grazing programme near Doñana National Park uses rescued donkeys to eat dry scrub and reduce the vegetation that can feed wildfires.
Near Spain’s Doñana National Park, rescued donkeys have been given a very practical job: eating the dry vegetation that can help wildfires spread. The programme has been running since 2014 and has turned old-fashioned grazing into a modern fire-prevention tool.
The animals are managed by El Burrito Feliz, an association that works with donkeys rather than treating them as forgotten working animals. From spring into autumn, the donkeys graze around vulnerable areas, reducing dry scrub before it becomes dangerous fuel in hot weather.
Local volunteers help keep the animals watered and safe, including women from the Mujeres por Doñana group. Their work matters because a grazing programme is not just a matter of opening a gate. Animals have to be moved, checked and protected, especially when they work near roads or public areas.
Experts quoted in reports say donkeys can be particularly useful because they are able to digest coarser and drier vegetation than some other grazing animals. That makes them well suited to the kind of scrub that often builds up around Mediterranean landscapes.
The model has inspired similar approaches in other Spanish regions including Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country. It is a grounded example of prevention: fewer machines, less dry fuel and a second life for animals that still have useful work to do.
Source: People