Rescued Donkeys Graze Wildfire-Prone Hills in Spain, Creating Natural Firebreaks

Since 2014, the El Burrito Feliz association, under the direction of Luis Manuel Bejarano, has turned 18 rescued donkeys into a low-tech wildfire-prevention force in Andalusia’s Doñana National Park. Each donkey is allocated a strip of land roughly 40 m long and 15 m wide, where it grazes for up to seven hours daily, removing dry grasses, shrubs and weeds that could ignite during hot summers. This grazing creates a network of natural firebreaks that, according to Bejarano, has helped keep the park largely free of wildfires over the past twelve years.

The animals drink about eight gallons of water after their grazing shift and rest until the next morning. The success has inspired comparable initiatives in Catalonia, where larger groups of rescued donkeys are employed to clear forest undergrowth, reducing fuel loads by up to 40 %. Beyond fire safety, the program provides rescued donkeys with veterinary care and a purpose, linking animal welfare with ecosystem protection.