Christchurch City Council is trialling sheep as a way to combat fire risk in the Port Hills.
The popular Kennedy's Bush track is closed until Wednesday to allow sheep to graze the dry grass in the area.
Council head of parks Rupert Bool said locals suggested the idea.
"The idea for the trial came after the Port Hills fires, after neighbours to the track suggested that grazing could provide a more effective firebreak than mechanical mowing - particularly in areas with rocky outcrops that are difficult for mowers to access," Bool said.
Several fires had caused destruction on the Port Hills in recent years.
A state of emergency was declared in Christchurch in February last year when a fire ravaged the hills for three weeks and seared more than 650 hectares of land.
In 2017, a fire destroyed nine homes and burned for 66 days.
One person died after helicopter crashed while fighting the blaze.
Bool said the council would explore how future grazing could take place, without needing to close the track, if the trial was successful.
"At this stage, this is a three-day trial as we're currently unsure how long it will take for the sheep to graze the grass down," he said.
