Photo: Chris Robert | Unsplash
The Green Grazers, a 40-strong team of goats, have taken on the invasive plant species called phragmites that is choking out other plants and destroying wildlife habitat in Ontario, Canada. This summer, the Grazers have been chomping on the enemy in Gonder’s Flats, a natural preservation area, following a successful pilot project that saw them eating for eight hours each day. Victoria Kaleniuk, the Niagara Parks environmental planning technician who initiated the pilot, says the herbivorous, four-stomached animals are uniquely qualified to tackle the problem. They will eat anything and they have a particular way of chewing – side-to-side – that allows them to break down strong plants. Additionally, they have an enzyme in their saliva that helps them digest the phragmites and the seeds are neutralized in their stomachs, so they don’t spread when the goats poop them out. The Green Grazers are making a huge difference on a vexing problem. Way to go, goats!
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