Meet some adorable secret weapons in the fight against out-of-control wildfires.

These firefighters don’t carry hoses and air tanks. Instead, they’re equipped with horns, hooves, and special GPS collars. In fact, above is one of Ireland’s fearless firefighting goats!

A few years ago, wildfires blazed in the hills near Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The fires were fueled by too much gorse, a type of spiky shrub that had grown out of control. Human firefighters eventually put out the fires, but the danger remained. The gorse would grow back—unless people found a way to prevent it.

TO THE RESCUE

Enter a surprising hero: the Old Irish Goat! This ancient breed of goat has lived for thousands of years in Ireland, where people raised it for its nutritious milk. Herds of these longhaired munchers used to be a common sight in the Irish countryside. They ate the gorse and other plants that grew there. That kept the gorse from spreading too much.

But over the years, people in Ireland started keeping other breeds of goats—or no goats at all. This special breed started to die out, until they were almost extinct. Today, most of the remaining Old Irish Goats live in small wild herds up in the mountains.

After the wildfires, people from a group called the Old Irish Goat Society had an idea. What if Old Irish Goats were brought in to help keep the gorse under control, as they used to do in the past? The goats could help prevent fires, and the community might see that this breed was worth saving.

GOATS GET GOING

The project took off like . . .well, like wildfire. Before long, a herd of tame Old Irish Goats was regularly seen on the hills around Dublin. Under the watchful eye of their keeper, Melissa Jeuken, the goats spend their days snacking on the gorse. It’s one of their favorite foods! Unlike cows and sheep, goats are browsers, not grazers. This means they eat mostly the leaves and twigs of woody plants. (Grazers eat grasses.) The nimble goats can reach spots that people and machinery can’t, and their heavy coats protect them from wind and rain.

TIME TO LEARN

Before they can get to work, young goats have to be trained. So, they wear special collars that beep when they roam too far. The goats are very smart and quickly learn the system. Melissa has to teach the young goats manners, too. Rule number one? Never jump on the goat keeper!

HERE TO STAY

The Old Irish Goats have now been at their job for three years. Melissa says that you can plainly see just how much gorse the goats can clear in a short time. Now the hills around Dublin are a little safer from wildfires, thanks to Ireland’s newest (and cutest) firefighters.