Spain deploys rescued donkeys to curb wildfires in national parks

Rescued donkeys are being used by Spanish conservation groups to reduce wildfire risk. In Doñana National Park, an "18‑animal Firefighting Donkey Battalion" grazes dry grass for up to seven hours a day between March and November, creating natural firebreaks. The initiative, run by the El Burrito Feliz association, has kept the park free of wildfires for nine years and is now being replicated in Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country.

The project began in 2020 when founder Joan Cedó Sans rescued abandoned donkeys and organized them into a herd that now numbers 62 animals. By grazing and trampling coarse vegetation, the donkeys remove the dry biomass that fuels flames. Experts note that donkeys consume larger amounts of coarse grass than goats, and that a mix of herbivores yields the best results. The effort follows the EU’s worst fire season on record in 2025, when Spain lost nearly a million acres of land to wildfire.