MISATO, Shimane >> A community in Shimane prefecture unleashed a small herd of hungry goats to clean up weeds along an abandoned railway track.

The JR Sanko Line fell into disrepair in the spring of 2018 and residents in the town of Misato — home to the longest stretch of the rail line — had complained that the rapid spread of weeds along the route was spoiling the landscape and attracting wild boars.

Upon being commissioned by West Japan Railway Co. to help strip the weeds around the now-shuttered Iwamitsuga Station, the local community decided to employ caprine power. Subsequently, six goats owned by the head of the local resident association were set free along the tracks in July.

Though the railway tracks rest on a bed of crushed stones, the sure-footed goats have had no problem navigating around them.

The association planned to let the animals roam free into the fall.