California Deploys Goats To Fight Wildfires. This Is Why They Are Useful
NDTV
Goats have an unsatiable appetite and devour weeds, bushes, low hanging leaves, and dry brush - all of which are fuel for fires.
Authorities in California have found a unique way to stop wildfires. They are deploying goats to graze across the state and create a buffer for potential wildfires, according to the BBC. Armed with their appetites, a herd of goats can clear about an acre of brush in a day, thus removing the fuel a wildfire needs to spread. These animals are playing an important role for California that has been at the epicentre of battling wildfires. They have become more frequent, more destructive, and larger, since 1980.
"The reception is overwhelmingly positive wherever we go. It's a win-win scenario as far as I can tell," goat herder Michael Choi told the BBC.
He runs a family business that leases goats to city agencies, like the fire department, schools and other clients. They have 700 goats, but recently had to expand their herd to keep up with the demand.
