Feature, Freight News, Sea


Doing the donkey-work in Rotterdam

[ August 20, 2025   //   ]

A herd of three Spanish donkeys are to maintain the Geuzenbos nature reserve in the port of Rotterdam, keeping a vital corridor safe and clear.
Pipelines are essential for transporting various substances, such as oil products, chemicals and industrial gases and, for safety reasons, vegetation along them needs to be kept down. Grassy vegetation is no problem but situation in the Geuzenbos is more challenging due to the presence of sea buckthorn which spreads rapidly and grows to considerable heights in a short time.
Two Tauros cattle that help manage the through grazing, showed little appetite for the tough customer but the Zamorano-Leonés breed of donkey is known for their fondness of dry, rugged vegetation. In Spain, they are even deployed in areas dense with thorny plants to help combat forest fires and are also highly resilient to harsh weather conditions.
After meticulous preparation, including health checks, vaccinations and a period of acclimatisation to the Dutch weather, the donkeys were recently introduced to the Geuzenbos. The three donkeys emerged from the trailer somewhat hesitantly, but soon set off at a gallop to explore their new surroundings.
The trial is expected to run for at least one to one and a half years, allowing the donkeys’ behaviour and effectiveness to be monitored across different seasons. If they prove successful in controlling the sea buckthorn, they will be retained permanently.

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