Sheep lawnmowers to tidy Ixelles' green spaces

In Ixelles, five sheep are temporarily taking up residence and taking over the landscaping duties in the municipality’s green spaces.

The sheep will migrate between the various grassy places, including the Ixelles cemetery, as an environmentally-friendly way to handle lawnmowing.

“The sheep are part of a project on ecological grazing in the city, a gentle and environmentally friendly way to maintain green spaces, promote biodiversity and raise awareness among young and old about climate-friendly practices,” said Valérie Libert, alderwoman for climate and environment.

Libert worked together with party colleague and first alderman Gautier Calomne, who is responsible for the cemetery in the municipality.

The five sheep are "retired", according to Libert, meaning they no longer produce milk, "but still have a useful role to play in society".

The five new fluffy residents in Ixelles are called Calamity Jane, Simone, Bibi, Tango and Choco.

On Sunday 12 October at about 14.30, the sheep will make their way to the Ixelles cemetery where they will remain until 3 November.

According to Calomne, the sheep offer an “ecological, quiet and animal-friendly alternative to noisy and polluting lawnmowers”.

The sheep also help combat invasive plant species and reduce the maintenance costs for the cemetery.

The municipality invites the residents of Ixelles, or Brussels in general, to attend the sheep migration on Sunday, calling it "a unique opportunity to discover Ixelles and the cemetery in a different way, at the pace of the sheep".