If you have travelled in Morocco, you may have come across this unusual sight where goats could be seen perching on the argan trees, happily munching on the fruits as they casually stood on the branches.
The argan trees produce fruits which are what attract these goats to climb up the trees. In a country where food source can be scarce for wildlife, these trees provide meals that the goats never have to compete to get for.
As soon as the fruits are ripe, the farmers actively encourage the goats to climb the trees and there are several reasons behind this
First, the nut of the argan tree is used to produce the sought-after argan oil. Although the goats eat the fruits, they cannot digest the nuts which then will pass through their digestive system and be excreted.
The nuts are then gathered by the farmers and ground to produce argan oil
Apart from making money from the argan oil, the reason why the farmers encourage the goats to climb the trees is to gain benefit from then unique sight as they charge fees to tourists who wish to take pictures of the sight
In certain parts of the country, goats in the trees are a roadside attraction and tourists often stop just to take pictures of the goats. In return, they give ‘tip’ to the waiting farmers
Watch the bizarre sight of goats climbing argan trees in Morocco here
