SAN DIEGO — Acres of dry brush can become the perfect fuel for a wildfire and that's why companies like SDG&E are using goats to eliminate vegetation to help reduce the risk of fires.
"We saw them last year and were super happy they were coming back," said 7-year-old Autumn.
The goats have one job, to eat away dry brush and weeds that pose risk for wildfires.
"We were pleasantly surprised to see how many of them there were. How fun," Ashley said.
Ashley brought her child to see the herd of more than 100 goats in the field near her home.
"Definitely unique and sustainable and nicely gated so they're confined to the area. They have the troughs out here so they're hydrated," she said.
Environmental Land Management, also known as ELM, has been using these goat mowers in the San Diego area for more than 20 years.
"There's one that looks like an Appaloosa horse. I don't know how tall it is but it's really tall," Autumn said.
As fun as they are to watch, ELM says people have been interfering. The goats are behind a low-voltage battery-powered electric fence. It keeps them contained and also helps keep out coyotes and other predators.
ELM says people have been feeding the goats which lures them over to the fence. Recently a goat got tangled in the fence and had to be rescued. They say people have also been knocking down the fence.
"Looking at them and being careful because the fence is electric," Autumn said.
SDG&E sent CBS 8 the following statement:
"At SDG&E, the safety and wellbeing of our community and employees is our top priority and this includes our goats, who work every day to help reduce vegetation and play a crucial role in mitigating the risk of wildfires across our service area.
The goats’ safety is extremely important to us and we urge members of the public to respect their space by watching their work from a distance."
ELM says it's okay to watch from afar but it is not a petting zoo. They hope to spread awareness to keep everyone safe and allow the goats to keep doing what they do best.
"There was a tree and they gobbled it up really fast. When they're done eating this part they'll move farther into the canyon," she said.
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