Spain ? Farmers led a flock of about 700 of the animals – along with donkeys and horses – through downtown Madrid on Sunday in a pungent protest urging the protection of ancient grazing routes threatened by urban sprawl.

The annual protest, now in its 14th year, calls on authorities to protect 78,000 miles of paths used for seasonal movement of livestock, from cool, highland pastures in summer to lower-lying ones in winter.

Madrid lies along two of the north-south routes. One of these dates back to 1372, and at least on paper it runs through the Puerta del Sol – the bustling plaza that is Madrid’s equivalent of New York City’s Times Square.

The routes are protected under Spanish law. But in practice, housing developments, highways and railways have nibbled away at the time-honored paths, said Jesus Garzon, a former farmer and rural activist who launched an initiative to preserve the practice known as transhumance, or the seasonal movement of livestock. In Spain it involves a million animals – sheep, cattle and other creatures.

“It is a heritage that is unique in the world, and one which we must respect,” he said.