You know what’s not fun for a human? Pulling scratchy thistles other invasive plants. You know what’s totally awesome for a goat? Eating scratchy thistles and other invasive plants. The Portland Airport has caught on to the obvious solution to its airfield landscaping needs, hiring 40 goats and a lone llama to munch away at the plants encroaching on runway space.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport saw the light back in 2013, hiring 25 goats as part of its vegetation management program and now Portlandians are hopping on the animal-not-mechanical lawn-mowing wagon, reports the Associated Press.

The temporary herd moved in this week to chow down on blackberries, thistle and Scotch broom near the PDX airfield, with the llama on hand to protect the group from predators like coyotes.

The Port of Portland owns the property and says that hiring the goats cuts down on the need to spray herbicides or pull the weeds by hand, a chore that no one has ever enjoyed ever in the history of time because it’s the worst.

It’ll be a three-week gig for the goats, which are contained by a portable, solar-powered electric fence (natch, this is Portland we’re talking about).

“It should take the goats just over three weeks (about 25 days) to clear the area in which they are currently fenced,” said spokeswoman for the airport.

Portland airport uses goats, llama to clear invasive plants [Associated Press]

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