A pilot program in Portugal's Viseu is now keeping goats to reduce vegetation in the country's northern mountainous regions, which typically dries up in summer and fuels the rapid spread of blazes.
The program is intended to use goats to prevent wildfires before they even begin. The goats work like mobile fire prevention units, eating up all of the fuel for the wildfires.
In September, Portugal mobilized the "largest firefighting force ever" to tackle wildfires that ravaged the central and northern parts of the country.
For farmers and shepherds in Viseu, the ever-spreading wildfires pose real threats as global warming intensifies.
"Of course, there's a lot of fear during wildfires, and not just for us but for the animals too. They feel fear too. They suffer fear, stress and anxiety," said Vitor Gomes, a local shepherd.
A program coordinator said the program withstood the test of September's wildfires and if being promoted at a larger scale it can be an efficient solution to rampant blazes.
"We are in one of the most affected regions by wildfires, historically speaking. In September, it was a wildfire with extreme behavior that burned almost everything in its path. But our parcels managed to keep green. It doesn't burn. So, I think with this we can prove that doing this in a bigger scale, not only as a pilot but as a solution itself, it has been proven to work. We believe it works," said Andre Mota, an coordinator of the Life Landscape Fire Program.
Wildfires are increasingly frequent in Portugal with seven died in the September blazes.
Globally, wildfires are also getting worse with 21 years of NASA satellite data showing that severe blazes have more than doubled since 2003.
Pilot Portuguese program uses goats to prevent wildfires
