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Comment by Cass | Hacker News Reader

How are people supposed to shear those sheep, or take care of them during lambing/when they're sick, or to feed or water them, if they can't actually enter the pen? It seems to me that sheep penned in a land mine field would either be useless, because you couldn't go near them, or worse than useless, because they'd be a temptation to enter the dangerous area.

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The point is that these people have sheep and goats already for basic subsistence. They already use these dangerous fields. By buying them more animals instead of (or as well as) spending money on expensive technical demining kit, you increase the probability of mine clearance a bit, while making the person wealthier. Sheep reproduce and excess lambs can be sold, making the process sustainable.

Similarly, training locals in demining with donated basic equipment is also good, in the sense that these new experts can sell their services locally. The down side is that these brave people take extra risk.

Both the livestock and local training methods were used in Bosnia, which had a serious landmine problem recently.

Turns out sheep's will run toward whoever takes care of them.

I take it you've never worked with sheep on a farm then...?!

No, you're right, I never worked on a farm; I simply grew up in a farm.

Sheep are scared stomachs on legs. When they see their daily source of food and nothing suspicious (such as a stranger), they reach. My grandfather could also call them and they would reach even with a stranger present.

Ha.

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