City Rents Goats to Battle Invasive Weed at Freshkills Park

The goats are being leased for six weeks from a farmer in Rhinebeck

The city Parks Department has 20 new weapons in its battle against a weed that's choking the Staten Island shoreline.      

Mozart, Beethoven, Haydyn and Van Goat are among the floppy-eared foes of the invasive weed called phragmites. Goats are known for having a voracious yet indiscriminating appetite, which makes them ideal for the cleanup job.     

The goat mowing is clearing the way for wetlands restoration, according to The New York Times.

It's part of the development of Freshkills Park, which will be the largest park developed in the city in more than a century. It won't officially open for two or three years.      

The city is leasing the goats for six weeks from a farmer in Rhinebeck. 

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