TikTok account The G.O.A.T. Grazers (@thegoatgrazers) posted a time-lapse video of goats clearing a large area of Kudzu, an invasive vining plant, in Tennessee within a period of just over 38 hours.
“Unbelievable!” exclaimed one commenter.
Kudzu, originally from Japan, is an invasive plant in Tennessee that is sometimes nicknamed the “vine that ate the south” because it grows so fast and has become so prevalent in the southeastern United States. It often covers trees and structures, preventing native plants and trees from becoming established. It reduces biodiversity and disrupts the balance of the ecosystem, as invasive species often do.
A herd of goats came to the rescue to do some targeted grazing, as shown in the video. Goats are fantastic gardeners for managing and removing invasive plant species. It’s an eco-friendly approach to controlling invasive plants without using harmful chemical solutions. They are happy to eat invasive plants, and since what goes in must come out, they fertilize the soil in the process. Their digestive systems destroy the seeds, so it is unlikely that the invasive plants will grow back after they’ve done their job. Goats can access areas that might be difficult for humans or large machinery to access and easily and happily remove species that can be very difficult for humans to remove.
The TikTok video does not explain what future plans are for that specific land plot, but once invasive species are removed, rewilding the area with native plants and a natural lawn is a great way to restore balance to the ecosystem and promote biodiversity.
Native plants are naturally acclimated to the climate and conditions, so they thrive with minimal intervention and maintenance. They require less water, so by planting native species, we can conserve water and save on our water bills.
Native plant species help support a healthy ecosystem, providing food and shelter to pollinators — which help humans by protecting our food supply — birds, and other local creatures.
Native-plant gardens are not only practical and eco-friendly – they are also quite beautiful.
Removing invasive species in preparation for a native garden can be quite a challenge, but the goats made light work of the transformation. TikTokers were impressed.
“Just omg,” one amazed commenter said.
“I want goats so bad,” expressed another.
One TikToker simply cheered, “Yay goats!”
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