400+ hungry goats and sheep head to Sacramento's Chorley Park for fire fuel mitigation
SACRAMENTO – Hundreds of goats and sheep will be hard at work as living lawnmowers at a south Sacramento park the next few weeks.
The City of Sacramento revealed on Wednesday that William Chorley Park will be the next area that the hungry animals focus on.
It's all part of Sacramento's Department of Youth, Parks, & Community Enrichment's grazing program, which has been bringing out sheep and goats to clear urban brush for the past two years.
About 430 animals will be out at Chorley Park, the city says. Disc golfers will have to find another park to play at for the time being, as the course in the back area will be closed while the goats graze.
Officials say they tentatively expect the work to be finished by June 26 – but it's up to how hungry the goats are, of course.
Cities in and around the Sacramento area have turned to goats and sheep for help in cutting down urban brush and mitigate wildfire risk.
While targeted grazing has become a popular way for cities to try and reduce wildfire risk, herding companies are claiming that new labor regulations in California are threatening to put them out of business.
The animals have already been hard at work in Sacramento, with some 800 sheep having chowed down at North Natomas Regional Park starting in late April.
Other Sacramento parks that the city expects to bring goats and sheep out to this season include Chicory Bend and the North Laguna Creek Wildlife Area.
