A flock of sheep has started working in the central parks and districts of Nantes, France. For four months, the animals will be responsible for maintaining the local lawns.
Unlike lawnmowers, the animals not only trim the grass without harmful emissions, but also maintain biodiversity. They eat the grass without damaging the topsoil, creating space for new shoots.
The sheep will spend from five to fifteen days in each park, and then, under the guidance of shepherds, will move on to the next park. The animals will move directly through the city streets – they were trained in advance not to be afraid of cars and public transport.
Animals are increasingly being employed in European cities. Sheep have “worked” at Brussels Airport and in Madrid’s largest park. In addition, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has hired pigs to scare birds away from runways, preventing them from interfering with takeoff and landing of aircraft.