You’ve probably seen the photo. It’s a grainy, slightly surreal image of a gnarled tree, its dusty branches heavy not with fruit, but with a dozen or so cloven-hoofed animals staring blankly at the camera. Most people assume it’s Photoshop. I mean, goats? In a tree? It looks like a glitch in the matrix or a bored college student’s art project. But honestly, it’s a very real, very strange biological phenomenon that happens every single day in the Souss-Massa-Draâ region of Morocco.
Goats in a tree aren’t just a tourist trap. They’re a survival mechanism.
The tree in question is the Argania spinosa, better known as the Argan tree. These things are tough. They have to be. They grow in the semi-desert soil of southwestern Morocco, surviving heat that would wilt most vegetation. Because the ground is often scorched and devoid of lush grass, the local goats—mostly of the Berber breed—had to adapt. They didn't just look for food on the ground; they looked up.
The Science Behind the Climb
It’s all about the anatomy. Most people think of goats as clumsy farm animals, but they’re basically nature’s free soloists. Their hooves are designed for this. A goat’s hoof has two toes that can spread out to provide a wider grip, and the soles are soft and rubbery, which helps them "stick" to the irregular bark of the Argan tree. It’s not just luck. It’s evolution.
The prize is the Argan fruit. It looks a bit like a shriveled olive or a small yellow plum. To a goat, it’s a delicacy. Inside that fruit is a nut, and inside that nut is the valuable oil that’s probably sitting in your bathroom cabinet right now as a high-end hair treatment.
The relationship between the goats and the trees is... complicated. For a long time, the narrative was that the goats would eat the fruit, digest the pulp, and then poop out the hard nuts. Farmers would then collect these "pre-processed" nuts, crack them open, and grind them into oil. It sounds gross, right? It also turns out it’s mostly a myth. Or at least, an outdated truth.
Recent research, specifically a study published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment by researchers from the Doñana Biological Station in Spain, suggests a different path. Goats actually have a "ruminant" digestive system. They have multi-chambered stomachs. Instead of passing the large, hard Argan nuts through their entire digestive tract—which would be pretty painful, let’s be real—they actually regurgitate them. They spit them out.
Think of it like a cow chewing its cud. The goat eats the fruit, the pulp gets digested in the rumen, and then the goat coughs up the clean, nut-shaped remains. This is actually better for the Argan oil industry because the nuts haven't been subjected to the intense digestive acids of the lower gut, which can alter the chemical composition and smell of the oil.
The Economics of the Tree-Climbing Goat
If you drive the road between Marrakech and Agadir, you’re almost guaranteed to see goats in a tree. It’s a spectacle. But here’s the thing you need to know: it’s become a bit of a business.
In the past, this was a totally wild, natural occurrence. You’d just happen upon a herd in the branches. Today, it’s often staged. Local herders realized that tourists would pay good money to take a photo of twenty goats balanced precariously on a single branch. They’ll sometimes build platforms in the trees or even manually place the goats up there.
Is it ethical? That’s a grey area.
On one hand, it provides an income for impoverished rural families. On the other, the goats are often kept in the sun for hours on end without much water. If you’re visiting, look for herds that seem to be moving naturally. If the goats look stressed or if the herder is aggressively demanding money before you even stop the car, it’s probably a setup.
The real value of these goats in a tree, though, is ecological. By eating the fruit and spitting out the seeds in different locations, the goats act as primary seed dispersers for the Argan forest. Without them, the forest might not regenerate as effectively. It’s a symbiotic loop that has kept this specific ecosystem alive for centuries.
Why Argan Oil Matters
We can't talk about these goats without talking about the oil. Argan oil is often called "liquid gold." It’s rich in Vitamin E, fatty acids, and antioxidants. Because Argan trees only grow in this specific pocket of Morocco (and a small part of Israel), the supply is incredibly limited.
The production is almost entirely handled by women’s cooperatives. It’s a labor-intensive process. They have to crack the nuts by hand using two stones—machines often break the delicate kernels inside.
- Harvesting: Collecting the fruit (or the nuts the goats spit out).
- Drying: Letting the fruit peel dry until it can be removed.
- Cracking: The hardest part. Using stones to get to the kernel.
- Grinding: Turning the kernels into a paste.
- Pressing: Extracting the oil.
When you buy a bottle of Argan oil, you’re paying for that manual labor. And weirdly, you’re paying for the fact that a goat might have helped "clean" that nut for you.
How to See Goats in a Tree Without Being a "Bad" Tourist
If you want to see this for yourself, timing is everything. Goats in a tree are most common in the late spring and early summer (May to June). This is when the Argan fruit is ripe and plentiful. During the rainy season, there’s usually enough grass on the ground that the goats don't feel the need to climb.
Go to the Souss Valley. That’s the heart of Argan country.
Try to go early in the morning. That’s when the herds are most active and the light is better for photos anyway. If you see a herder, it’s polite to offer a few dirhams (maybe 10 or 20) if you take a photo. It’s their livelihood. But use your intuition. If the animals look sick or are being prodded with sticks to stay on a branch, keep driving. Don't reward animal cruelty.
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There’s also a conservation side to this. The Argan forest was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1998. The trees are protected, but they face threats from climate change and overgrazing. Yes, the goats are cute in the trees, but if too many goats eat too many fruits, there aren't enough seeds left to grow new trees. It's a delicate balance.
Misconceptions and Local Lore
Some people think the goats live in the trees. They don't. They’re ground-dwelling animals that just happen to have a vertical commute. They climb up in the morning and come down in the evening.
There’s also a local belief that the oil from goat-processed nuts tastes better. This is for the culinary version of Argan oil (which is toasted and tastes like nutty sesame oil). While most commercial oil uses "clean" fruit harvested directly from the tree, some traditionalists swear by the goat-assisted method. I’ve tried both. Honestly? I can't tell the difference, but the story is certainly better.
It’s easy to dismiss the goats in a tree as a gimmick. We live in an age of AI-generated images and viral hoaxes. But this is one of those rare instances where the weird thing you saw on the internet is actually a testament to the sheer weirdness of the natural world.
The goats aren't trying to be famous. They're just hungry. And in a land where the ground offers nothing but dust, they’ve learned that the only way to survive is to look up.
Practical Next Steps for Your Trip
If you're planning to see the goats in a tree in person, here is exactly what you need to do:
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- Fly into Agadir or Essaouira. These are the closest hubs to the Argan regions.
- Rent a car. While you can take a bus, having your own vehicle allows you to pull over when you see a "natural" herd rather than the staged tourist stops.
- Drive the R207. This is the main road between Marrakech and Essaouira. This is prime goat-spotting territory.
- Visit a legitimate Women’s Cooperative. Look for signs that say "Coopérative Féminine." This ensures your money goes back to the local community and that you’re getting authentic oil.
- Check the fruit. If you see the trees are bare and brown, you're likely in the off-season. Don't expect to see many climbers during the winter months.
- Carry small change. Having 10-dirham coins ready prevents awkwardness when you want to tip a local shepherd for a photo.
The Argan forests of Morocco are a UNESCO treasure. Seeing these animals defy gravity is a reminder that life finds a way, even in the harshest environments. Just remember to be a conscious traveler—respect the trees, respect the herders, and above all, respect the goats.