Sheep take over Pompeii to tackle unruly grass
STORY: Sheep are coming to the rescue of the ancient ruins in Pompeii
the Roman city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD
Locator: Pompeii, Italy
The flock of 150 sheep has been deployed to the northern section of the city
to graze and protect the ancient site from growing vegetation
(Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Director of Pompeii Archeological Park)
"If grass and other plants grow in or on the ancient walls and houses this is a problem. So we try to have a sustainable approach to the whole environment in order also to avoid using substances than to avoid growing plants"
"We save money by using sheep instead of machines and people who come here and use all kinds of tools. But then it's also something which really gives an idea of how Pompeii was in the time when it was rediscovered. It was woods, vineyards, sheep and it was this kind of rural environment and in the midst of that, you had Pompeii. Pompeii was totally forgotten over the centuries."
