In the Canary Islands, "firefighter sheep" protect a UNESCO reserve from fire

In a picturesque corner of the Canary Islands, in the Anaga Reserve, protected by UNESCO, the town of Tegueste has come up with a cool way to fight fires and take care of nature. They use sheep!

A herd of 400 "firefighter sheep" wanders through the ravines and roadsides, eating dry grass and shrubs. In this way, they create a natural barrier that prevents the fire from spreading.

This idea is being brought to life by local farmers José Manuel Trujillo Hernández and Francisco Javier Rodríguez García, who are supported by local authorities.

The mayor of the city, Norberto Padilla, says that this is a very important initiative: "We are betting on simple, profitable and environmentally friendly solutions. Sheep not only prevent fires, but also help our farmers, support nature and make our city cleaner. We want this project to be an example for the whole island."

Julián Rodríguez, who is responsible for environmental protection, adds: "We need effective and environmentally friendly solutions. If the Anaga Reserve burns down, we will lose one of the most valuable treasures of the Canary Islands. We cannot allow this to happen!"

"Firefighter sheep" are not just a pretty picture, but a real help. Each sheep eats up to 5 kilograms of dry grass a day, which can easily ignite in the hot months. What is a weed for us is food for them.

The head of the local farmers' association, José Luis García Ángel, emphasizes that this is a very useful thing for nature. He says: "Sheep do their job. They eat the problem. We need help to hire a person to take care of the livestock and clear those places that the sheep cannot reach. Then we will be able to completely prevent fires."

This project arose after a major fire that occurred in Tenerife in the summer of 2023. Due to drought and heat, farmers decided to release their sheep to pastures, as is already being done on the island of Gran Canaria. Since then, sheep have been bypassing roads and ravines in various areas, clearing them of dry grass.

"Every area we clear becomes safer," says Francisco Javier Rodríguez. "We learned from our colleagues in Gran Canaria, where this system is already working well. There, the sheep have GPS trackers, and the shepherds receive money for every hectare of grazed land. We want to achieve the same level here."

The goal of the project is to make grazing a part of the state policy of protecting rural areas and forests. Therefore, a campaign "More grazing, fewer fires" has even been launched in Europe.

Local residents are very happy with this project. They see how it helps nature and revives old traditions that are becoming important again for environmental protection.

Thanks to the "firefighter sheep", Tegueste is becoming an example for other cities of how to protect nature with simple, environmentally friendly and profitable solutions. Sheep do not just graze, they work, clean and protect our environment.