Prepare to be amazed by the tree-climbing goats of Morocco, a daily marvel in the country’s arid regions. These agile animals scale argan trees, balancing with uncanny skill on thin limbs to feast on fruit. What appears to be an astonishing trick of nature is, in fact, a critical survival mechanism that also aids in the protection and propagation of the Moroccan argan forest.
The specific trees they target are argan trees, found exclusively in Morocco’s Sous Valley. These trees produce small, olive-like fruits with a palatable, sweet pulp. When the dry season arrives and food becomes scarce on the ground, the goats embark on their vertical journeys, climbing as high as eight to ten meters. Their hooves offer unparalleled stability, allowing them to navigate the arboreal landscape and secure the best fruits.
Beyond their own sustenance, these goats perform an essential ecological service. Each argan fruit contains a tough nut, which serves as the seed for future argan trees. The goats’ digestive systems cannot break down these nuts. As a result, the seeds are either passed through their droppings or dropped from the branches. This natural dispersal is vital for germination, giving new argan saplings a chance to take root in the challenging desert terrain, making the goats inadvertent planters.
Local communities have integrated this natural process into their livelihoods. Farmers routinely gather the nuts left behind by the goats. These collected nuts are then pressed to yield the highly sought-after argan oil, a valuable commodity that originates from this unique Moroccan ecosystem and is distributed worldwide.