The galloping 'firefighters'
Spain's wild horses in peril despite key role in wildfire prevention
Updated: 2025-04-25 13:33
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Drier, hotter weather due to climate change is increasing the frequency of wildfires in Galicia. The region lost 96,900 hectares due to fires between 2001 and 2023, according to Global Forest Watch.
This has coincided with the proliferation in Galicia of the Eucalyptus tree, a pyrophyte species that depends on fires to help it release and spread seeds. Eucalyptus trees also reduce pasture for the horses as only ferns grow under them.
