Pampelonne beach, dear to Brigitte Bardot in Ramatuelle (Var), is a victim of its success.
Bottles left on the sand, discarded plastic wrappers and butts piling up… Until now, 4 x 4s and trailers were responsible for picking up the trash every morning at dawn.
But the municipality has made another choice to avoid the noise and pollution generated by these motor vehicles: the use of donkeys.
"There are four of them and have been specially trained to help the cleaners transport waste," said Guy Martin, chief of staff to the mayor, Roland Bruno.
“For a month in Corsica, our employees learned to work with donkeys by focusing on animal welfare and increasing efficiency.
And it worked: this experimental phase which has just started is giving encouraging results.
"
Read alsoTourism: Pampelonne beach sees the season in green
Maléna, Princess, Justin and Valentin, the four donkeys on patrol, pick up more waste at a walk than the rolling machines!
“They are adapted to the sun, to the heat and easily cover the 4.5 km long Pampelonne beach,” says Guillaume, one of the staff trained in the profession of donkey driver.
"Cans, papers, cups, plastic bags ... Thanks to this natural means of collection, the town has halved the mechanized intervention on the beach", assures Jean-Pierre Frésia, assistant to the works.
At a time when the first tourists arrive on the very chic Pampelonne beach, the presence of donkeys adds exoticism to the place.
And immediately appeals to children.
