Portland Airport Hires Unlikely Team: 40 Goats and a Llama

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Robby Davis, GolocalPDX Contributor

Photo via Port of Portland

The removal of the social media famous PDX carpet isn't the only change Portland Airport is facing.

The airport recently made over 40 hires to help combat the issue of invasive plants growing around the airport and predators, such as coyotes, disturbing workers and guests.

Who are these new employees? 40 goats and a llama.

Hired through Goat Power, the animals will diligently work to remove invasive plants that are located near the PDX airfield for approximately three weeks. Instead of having to spray herbicides, or remove them by hand, the goats will consume the thorny invasive plants inculding as blackberries, thistle and scotch broom. Goats have a four-chambered stomach and a willingness to eat anything, which makes them the perfect candidate to tackle this project.

The llama, meanwhile, will assist the shepherdess in protecting the goats from coyotes and other predators.

PDX already utilizes animals to help with the airport's maintenance and security. Besides using police dogs, PDX also has a Border Collie named Fish to keep geese and other birds away from the airfield.

In addition, the "Bridgetown Bees" use the Port's property to house 29 of their beehives. The goal of the group is " to selectively breed and raise queen bees in the city of Portland that are suitable for year-round survival here and in other cities in the Pacific Northwest." Good breeding means that the community would no longer have to import its bees, and that the health of local pollinator communities would increase. The group hopes to add another 11 hives this summer.

The goats and llama will be working outside of the airfield and will be kept in their designated work zone by a portable electric fence.

We’ll have to wait and see if these new hires pay off for the airport.

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