Goats Used To Clear Kudzu at Roswell Park

ROSWELL, GA -- The city of Roswell has unleashed some unusual helpers to improve the landscape at Old Mill Park.

For the next five to 10 days, the park will be home to 33 goats who will "eat their way" through invasive Kudzu at the park, the city said.

The goats, borrowed from Get Your Goat Rentals, will be guarded by two Great Pyrenees as they make their way through the foliage. According to the city of Roswell, each adult goat can scarf down 10 to 12 pounds of kudzu each day.

"Using goats for clearing invasive plants has become a popular green practice in the past several years, as removing this type of vegetation ordinarily requires heavy machinery or toxic chemicals to manage," the city added.

City spokesperson Karen Zitomer reminds the public that the goats are not pets, but working animals Roswell is using to clear the kudzu for a trail.

The cost of utilizing the goats is $1,300, much less expensive than if the city would have used a more traditional method of clearing.

"If we would have used a spray to remove the kudzu, it would have cost the city $10,000 and could have been dangerous for the environment," Zitomer added.

The Old Mill Park project is the first of its kind for the city of Roswell, and the goats have proven to be effective with the task at hand.

While no other similar projects are in the works at this time, the city would be interested in bringing the goats back in to help, Zitomer stated.

Images via city of Roswell