Morocco's Argania trees are infested with nut-hungry goats.
It is not the goats that are special in Morocco. It is the trees. The Argania tree is a rare tree that produces such a tasty nut that the local goats just can't get enough. They will even climb to the top branches in order to pick the delicious nuts. Goats are natural climbers and are very sure-footed. Goats are also herd animals, so once one goat spots an Argania tree, all of his friends follow. Soon the tree is full of goats.
Grown almost exclusively in Sous Valley in southwestern Morocco, the Argania is a rare and protected species after years of over-farming and clear-cutting. Local farmers condone and even cultivate this bizarre feeding practice, keeping the goats away from the trees while the fruit matures and releasing them at the right time. There is also a secondary benefit to the goats’ habits which is found in their output. After the goats finish eating the fruit and nuts off the tree, they pass valuable clumps of seeds which are then pressed to create the sought-after Argan oil.
It looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book!