Twelve donkeys rented by the Sóller Town Hall have begun the natural cleaning of the urban waterways. The contingent doubles last year's number and will be released progressively in various stretches of the water network.
Twelve donkeys, rented by the Sóller Town Hall, have started this week the natural cleaning tasks of the urban torrents. The contingent doubles the number of animals used last summer and will be released progressively in various stretches of the water network with the aim of reducing the vegetation that grows within the waterways.
The animals, coming from the Natura Parc foundation, are resuming an initiative that was promoted last year by the councillor Antònia Frau and received positive feedback from the Environment department. The experience in the Biniaraix torrent, between Ca les Ànimes and the avenue of Astúries, demonstrated that the presence of the donkeys helps to minimise the volume of reeds and facilitate subsequent maintenance tasks.
A preventive plan before autumn
This year, the Town Hall has decided to expand the programme and extend it to different urban stretches, with the intention of reinforcing preventive actions before autumn, a period when intense rain episodes can occur. The presence of the equines helps control the growth of vegetation naturally, reducing the need for mechanical interventions and the associated environmental impact of cleaning tasks.
From Environment, they highlight that this system, in addition to ecological benefits, keeps the torrents where the animals operate more accessible and facilitates the planning of conservation tasks. "Last year's experience was very positive and encouraged us to repeat it with more resources," said the councillor for the area.
A summer of work for the donkeys
The arrival of the twelve animals marks the beginning of a new work period that, according to municipal sources, will last throughout the summer months and cover several points of the Sóller torrent network. The animals will remain within the waterways until next autumn, when they will return to the Natura Parc stables coinciding with the start of the rainy season.
For the residents of Sóller, this initiative not only represents a saving in maintenance costs but also a more sustainable way to keep the torrents clean. "It is an ecological and effective solution," comments the town hall. Meanwhile, the donkeys have already started to devour reeds and weeds in the Biniaraix torrent, with the hope that when the rains come, the water will flow unobstructed.
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