Over the last decades, the fight against fires has been reinforced thanks to the use of drones, satellites and AI camerasbut in some regions of Spain they are proving that there is a simpler and more effective tool: “firefighter donkeys”. As the fire becomes a major problem, devastating hectares of forest and populated areasmore and more areas of the country see herds of horses as a valuable ally against llamas.
Nothing our ancestors didn’t know.
Fire donkeys? As is. It is not about using chicks to carry water drums, shovels or hoses, but rather taking advantage of the skills of these animals to keep the forests cared for, clear the undergrowth and, in this way, prevent forest fires from advancing uncontrollably.
Its role is so important that there are those who already use that expression directly: “firefighter donkeys”a graphic and powerful way to claim its function.
What exactly do they do? Pasture. Give free rein to your voracious and insatiable appetite. It may not seem like a big deal, but when we talk about groups of dozens and dozens of donkeys that advance in packs along hectares of forest, feeding on grasses and bushes, their effect is crucial.
Their ‘crews’ help keep the fields clean, which, in the event of a fire, makes it difficult for the flames to find fuel to feed them and help them spread. As they advance, the donkeys create firebreaks in areas that are not always easy to access with machinery. What’s more, they do it so well that they are already being used to maintain firewalls.
And where are they used? One of the clearest examples is found in Catalonia. Over there six years ago Joan Cedó Sans laid the foundations for what it is today Tivissa Donkey Firefightersa non-profit organization that pursues a double objective: to give abused or abandoned horses a chance and, at the same time, take advantage of their voracious appetite to keep the mountains cleared.
A textbook “win-win” that guarantees the animals a peaceful existence, care and good nutrition and, in the process, prevents you from mounting them (every time most affected due to depopulation) become flammable traps.
How did it start? The Catalan initiative started in 2020 with a bunch of donkeysalready had 28 animals in 2022 and is now around 60 individuals, a large herd that moves through the mountains of the region cleaning public and private lands. The headquarters of the organization is in Tivissa, Tarragona.
“The 2013 Tivissa fire happened very close to where I have the horses and I thought the animals could help clear the undergrowth and prevent fires,” explained Joan Cedó a few years ago Diary of Tarragonawhere he remembered how the project began with only three horses from a Swiss couple who wanted to return to their country and did not know what to do with the animals.
Does it only apply in Catalonia? No. In fact, Donkey Firefighters It was not even the first initiative of that type in Spain. Years before they had started doing something similar in Andalusia, where since 2014 a group of horses from the association The Happy Burrito is dedicated to carrying out a similar work in the surroundings of the Doñana National Park: they graze, devouring dry brush, grass, weeds… elements that at first glance may seem harmless but that, in the event of a forest fire breaking out, represent food for the flames.
In Galicia either The Basque Country It is also possible to find similar initiatives.
It’s not surprising at all. More and more organizations are demanding the role of herding and the cattle to keep areas that have been affected by depopulation clean. In 2022 Barcelona itself activated an experiment with more than 200 sheep, goats and lambs to keep the Collserola undergrowth at bay and reduce the risk of fires. Nothing they haven’t already tried in Portugal.
Why donkeys? That’s the million dollar question. Beyond the value of giving abused or abandoned chicks a second chance, why turn to these animals and not other smaller ones, such as sheep or goats?
Cedó makes it clear on CNN: “The work that donkeys do, neither goats nor sheep can do.” Not only do they weigh more than sheep, which allows them to crush and compact the dry grass in their path, equids are also characterized by their insatiable appetite. They move slowly, but constantly and they do not dislike the dry grass that becomes so dangerous with fires.
Images | Julio Romero (Flickr) and Gabriel Fdez (Flickr)
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