Portland Airport Hires 40 Goats, Lone Llama To Clear Shrubs And Thistles

Airport annoyances really get our goat. But actual goats? Those are always welcome.

Portland International Airport this week hired a fleet of 40 goats to eat unwanted blackberry plants, thistles and shrubs near the airfield, local news station KWG reports.

While the goats munch away, a lone llama will fend off predators like coyotes.

It's all a plan to clear invasive plants from airport grounds without having to spray herbicides or pull weeds by hand.

It's also another display of Portland's total awesomeness. The airport -- dubbed one of America's happiest -- recently said goodbye to a retro-fabulous carpet design that inspired its own clothing line, bike helmets and poetry. Yes, poetry.

While the funkadelic carpet is no more, the goats and llama will reportedly stick around the airport for about three weeks, until all unwanted plants are gone.

The animals follow in the hoof-steps footsteps of the brave goats, llamas, sheep and burros who grazed at Chicago O'Hare Airport in 2013 and 2014. That herd demanded a celery salary of nearly $20,000 for their two-year weed-eating contract.

Hey, for that price, we'd eat weeds, too.