Each summer in Spain, wildfires blaze across the country. Thousands of acres are lost to flames, not only due to heat and drought but also rural abandonment. Fewer people and fewer herds means more vegetation left to grow unchecked. Some communities have found a solution as ancient as it is effective: donkeys. Bringing back donkeys, which have walked beside humans for millennia, these communities are using the animals to fight wildfires. The donkeys work in small brigades, moving silently through forests with military precision, pulling up weeds and chewing on them day after day. For just over a decade, 20 donkeys have been patrolling Doñana National Park, under the auspices of an organization called El Burrito Feliz (The Happy Little Donkey). The group rescues the animals from abandonment and turns them into what its president, Luis Manuel Bejarano, describes as “the best herbivorous firefighters.” The donkey recruits in Doñana’s Firefighting Donkey Battalion follow a tactical plan: patrolling seven hours daily from March through November along mobile firebreak lines marked by fences. Each day, they head to their assigned area, graze a strip about 130 by 50 feet, and then return to rest. By the end of the day, they’ve consumed all the flammable material in their designated area and dramatically reduced the risk of fire. It's hard work, but from the donkeys’ perspective, it’s paradise: They eat freely throughout the day, receive care and affection from caretakers and park visitors, and have shelter at night. As for the communities, they say using the donkeys for firefighting is a win-win for humans and animals alike.
