In the dry, windy plains of south-western Morocco, it’s common to look across the landscape and see something quite unexpected — goats perched high up in trees. They balance easily on thin branches, nibbling away at the leaves and fruit. At first glance, it looks like a prank of nature, but there’s a clever reason behind this unusual behaviour.
The trees they climb are called argan trees, native only to Morocco. These trees produce small, olive-like fruits with a sweet outer pulp. When food is scarce on the ground — especially during the dry season — goats take to the trees for a meal. They can climb as high as eight to ten metres, using their sharp hooves and remarkable balance to reach the tastiest fruit.
But there’s more to the story. Inside each argan fruit is a nut, which contains seeds that are used to make argan oil — one of Morocco’s most valuable exports. When goats eat the fruit, they can’t digest the hard nuts. They spit them out or drop them in their droppings, helping new trees to grow. In a strange twist, the goats actually help the forest survive.
Farmers have long worked with this natural cycle, collecting the nuts after the goats are done eating. The oil extracted from them is used in cooking and cosmetics around the world.
So, when goats climb trees in Morocco, they’re not just looking for lunch — they’re also helping a rare tree keep growing in the desert.