Donkey firefighters in Spain have protected one of Europe’s most important national parks from wildfire for nearly a decade, using nothing more than a steady appetite and a daily grazing routine. Doñana National Park, located in southern Spain, sits at the heart of one of Europe’s most vital wetland ecosystems. It shelters Iberian lynxes, endangered birds, and hundreds of migratory species. Despite a sharp increase in wildfires across Spain in recent years, Doñana has not recorded a single wildfire in 9 years, but that streak didn't happen by accident. Since 2014, 18 donkeys from the association El Burrito Feliz have been working for up to 7 hours a day between March and November, grazing strips of around 130 by 50 feet. Unlike cows or sheep, donkeys don’t have a complex stomach, so they can chew the same food repeatedly. They eat slowly but often, turning even the driest, roughest grass into energy. As wildfires grow more intense and frequent, the experience of donkey firefighters in Spain shows that the land already holds part of the answer, and it has four legs and a very good appetite.
