Between Marrakech and Essaouira, you can witness the curious sight of goats climbing trees—a scene that still amazes visitors
Maybe it was your uncle who told you about the time he caught a 90-kilo pike, a legendary beast that he supposedly hauled out of the water using nothing but a simple handline (and a healthy dose of grit).
Then there was your middle-school classmate, who explained that his cousiiin is a Kung Fu black belt and once smashed through a wall with a forbidden strike taught to him by his Tibetan master, who grew up in the Himalayas.
And finally, along came that sharply dressed guy, real-estate-agent style, who pitched you a foolproof way to make 10k a week while sitting on the beach with your laptop and a nice mojito. In exchange, all you have to do is mortgage your house, involve your parents, and sign over your soul in blood for an indefinite period.
In short, by now you’ve had enough of tall tales: you don’t believe in anything anymore, not even Santa Claus. So when you heard that in Morocco there are trees with goats dangling from them, you thought, “What nonsense—that can’t be real!”
Well, in this article we’re going to deal a fatal blow to your disbelief.
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When hunger calls, even goats can fly
Yes, goats in trees really do exist, and they can be found in Morocco, in the area between Marrakech and Essaouira. If you’ve seen them too, don’t worry—you weren’t drunk and you don’t need a psychiatrist.
They are a unique phenomenon in the world and for years they have attracted the attention of zoologists. And the mystery has been solved.
Do you know why they climb trees?
Well, apparently the reason is simple: this unusual behavior is mainly due to the lack of vegetation on the ground, caused by the region’s dry, arid climate. Driven by the need to find food, the goats have developed the ability to climb Argan trees in order to eat their leaves and juicy fruits.
In short, they climb up plants that can reach as much as 10 meters in height, finding an essential source of nourishment in fruits that look a bit like apricots, though more yellow in color. If you want to picture it, take a walk through the beauty section of a supermarket and check the labels: you’ll definitely find something with Argan in it—these days they put that stuff in everything.
Apparently spitting out and pooping seeds is good for the environment and the economy
The great thing about Argan goats is that their habit of hanging out in trees has some interesting economic and environmental implications.
You see, these unruly creatures, when feeding on their favorite fruits, tend to spit the seeds out all over the place—like kids at school with homemade Bic pen blowpipes. Sometimes they get rid of them in other ways too, but let’s not go into details.
But what does all this have to do with anything?
Quite a lot, actually.
First of all, Argan oil is extracted from the seeds of the fruit and, as we know well, it is highly sought after both for cosmetic and culinary use. For this reason, Berber women, organized in cooperatives, are often involved in collecting and processing the seeds spat out by the goats—a labor-intensive process that represents an important source of income for many local families.
From an environmental point of view, goats also play a crucial role in seed dispersal, helping regenerate the trees and contributing to the fight against desertification. However, it is also true that excessive and indiscriminate grazing can damage the trees, putting this precious natural resource at risk. Argan is in fact considered a protected species and has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the world heritage of humanity, and it is essential to the region’s ecosystem for serious reasons that we’ll look at more closely later on.
It all sounds wonderful, but as usual, some people are taking advantage of it: here’s what’s happening
Up to this point we’ve joked about the “flying goats,” but now I’d like to talk about something more serious.
The issue here is that while, yes, in most cases these animals developed their curious habit completely naturally, that’s not always the case.
Recently, the practice of forcing them to climb trees has started to spread—sometimes by luring them with food, or even carrying them up there by force. The goal is to attract as many tourists as possible and make easy money.
In short, there have been several documented cases in which goats were placed on branches against their will, and when they remain in the trees for too long, they risk suffering from dehydration (because of the intense heat) or injuring themselves by falling.
The authorities in the province of Essaouira have recently introduced measures both to stop this phenomenon and to protect the Argan tree, since excessive consumption of the plants by the goats could damage the local flora.
The reason is simple: the Argan tree is a protected species and an important symbol in the fight against desertification because, thanks to its deep roots, it helps prevent soil erosion and keeps the local ecosystem in balance. Its conservation is therefore crucial not only for the environment, but also for the local communities that depend on Argan oil production.
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In conclusion
So, here’s what we’ve learned in this article:
- Morocco’s flying goats do exist. Okay, they don’t actually fly, but they really are up in the trees;
- originally, they climbed mainly to feast on Argan fruit, especially as desertification spread;
- for some time now, some people have been forcing them into trees to attract more tourists to the area.
The moral of the story: if you visit Morocco, by all means take a trip through the area between Marrakech and Essaouira to see whether you can spot a few “goat trees.” But if you realize the situation looks too unnatural and that the goats you are watching were forced to climb up, avoid supporting this practice in any way.
After all, even if you don’t get to see the genuine flying goats, Morocco has plenty of other incredibly interesting things—you’re not going there only and exclusively for the goats, are you?
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