Goats on trees are typically found in Morocco. The goats climb them because they enjoy eating the argan tree’s fruit, which is comparable to an olive. Farmers really trail goat herds as they migrate from tree to tree.
Not because goats in trees are unusual and farmers like to point and gaze, but because the fruit of the tree contains a nut that the goats can’t digest, so they spit it up or excrete it, which the farmers collect. The nut has 1-3 kernels that can be processed to generate argan oil, which is used in cooking and cosmetics. This oil has been collected by the inhabitants of the region for hundreds of years, but the argan tree, like many other wild and valuable things these days, is progressively vanishing owing to over-harvesting for the tree’s wood and goat overgrazing.
As a result, a collection of individuals and organizations have joined together to try to conserve the tree. To that end, one of the key tree-growing areas has been designated as a biosphere reserve. It was also decided that making the world aware of the oil’s delicious taste and alleged anti-aging effects would generate demand for it.
However, the folks who wanted to market the oil could not imagine people wanting to put goat poo oil on their food or on their cheeks. As a result, a campaign is being launched to prohibit goats from grazing on the trees during certain times of the year, allowing the fruit to ripen and fall off on its own. Oil cooperatives collect the fruit and refine it into oil. This arrangement appears to be working so far.
Real story behind Morocco’s tree-climbing goats