Cypriot farmers fight fires with the help of goats

In Cyprus, two local farmers — Savvas and Dimitris Georgiou — found an original way to reduce the risk of forest fires in the Machairas mountain range in the Nicosia district. Their idea is to use goats of the local Machairas breed for the natural clearing of forest areas from dry grass and shrubs.

According to the farmers, a herd can cover up to ten kilometers a day, destroying flammable vegetation and thus reducing the likelihood of fires. Machairas is an indigenous Cypriot goat breed, which today is considered rare. These animals produce less milk in volume, but its quality is higher. At the same time, they are extremely hardy and active, so they need free grazing rather than being kept in stalls. Under such conditions, they are especially useful for fire prevention.

Previously, grazing goats in the forest was considered a violation, and farmers could be fined. However, in recent years the authorities have changed their approach, recognizing the effectiveness of this practice. Now, subsidies are being considered for those who will graze goats in forest areas. The initiative is supervised and coordinated by the Forestry Department.

At the same time, the authorities are carrying out work to restore affected areas. In the Limassol region, where large fires occurred in July, around 20,000 tree and shrub seedlings are planned to be planted to accelerate ecosystem recovery.