00:00In Spain's Catalonia region, the gentle sound of bells follows a herd of 300 goats as they roam from town to town, not just foraging, but helping prevent wildfires.
00:16The project, run by the city of Mataro and funded by the European Union, uses the goats to clear dry vegetation in fire-prone areas, a method officials say is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
00:30It's a pilot test that comes to stay. We're going to facilitate that a rebaño of fixed cows, as a minimum, is in our environment, working every year, in the forests and the forestal perímetro.
00:45Each summer, heat waves ignite wildfires across southern Europe, a threat made worse by climate change.
00:52But in Catalonia, wildfire outbreaks fell last year, despite a third year of record drought.
00:59Authorities say improved prevention, including these four-legged firefighters, is making a difference.
01:06Shepherds Francesc Teichido and Pedro Alba guide the herd with the help of their dogs.
01:12They say the goat's varied diet not only keeps forests clear, but also produces richer, more flavorful milk.
01:19The shepherds admit the work is more about passion than profit, and for some locals, the goats are a welcome sight.
01:41They used to cover them in the ground.
01:43They used to clean the ground.
01:44They removed the ground, as well as if there was a big, big thing, they carried it, but the other stayed there as a fertilizer and that's the rest.
01:54But I think this is more natural and more beautiful.
01:59They put the ground where others didn't get to clean the ground.
02:05A simple ancient method helping protect Catalonia's forests in a warming world.
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