Goats build firewalls in Portugal

Goats build firewalls 

Fernando Moura and his herd may not look like heroes, but the Portuguese farmer and his 370 goats are the latest recruits in the country’s battle against summer forest fires. Moura’s four-legged brigade are part of a pilot project, started earlier this year, to clear combustible scrubland from some of Portugal’s major mountain ranges. For the next five years, Moura and his goats have one mission – to roam across the slopes of the central Serra da Estrela range and clear about 50 ha of scrubland to create the natural firewalls. Around 40 goat herders are taking part in the initiative.