Mallorca’s forests and ecosystems are being conserved and maintained with the help of animals, which are grazing on properties all over the Island to help reduce excessive vegetation.
Forestry has been practiced on the Island for years and is really beneficial for the environment. An extra 5 breeds of Mallorcan donkeys and mules have just been put to work on public farms in Levant Natural Parc.
The Institut Balear de la Natura or IBANAT says Forest Management staff are supervising the animals while they clear the olive groves and once they’ve finished in Llevant Natural Park they’ll be moved to other areas.
Donkeys and mules have been working all over the island for years and having another 5 will really help to maintain the olive groves.
There are now 4 mules on the Planícia public estate in the Municipality of Banyalbufar, which is an area of particular botanical interest.
The Institute of Nature says 20 Mallorcan cows are deployed to the sa Duaia estate for a few months every year to reduce vegetation and prevent fires and the rest of the time they graze in s’Albufera Natural Park.
The forestry initiative is carried out in areas where excessive vegetation can be problematic for the ecosystem and having animals grazing on these properties really helps.
Sometimes, donkeys, mules and horses are also used to clean the torrents in Mallorca.
These traditional systems are a highly effective, sustainable strategy for maintaining forest areas and they truly benefit the ecosystem.