Morocco's tree-climbing goats

Tamri goats of western Morocco climb argan trees to feed on their nuts and leaves. (Jack Brunning)

7:00 a.m. CST, March 7, 2011

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If you've ever agonized over an insect or rodent problem, this photo should make you feel better. Imagine your garden being overrun with tree-climbing goats. By my count, there are nine in this flimsy tree, not counting the goat nibbling on leaves from the ground. Times reader Jack Brunning captured this scene while vacationing in Morocco.

Tree-climbing goats aren't as unusual as you might think. In western Morocco, Tamri goats are known to scale argan trees to feed on their leaves and nuts. Here's a YouTube video that shows these goats in action.

This isn't necessarily the most interesting part, either. Argan nuts are used to make an oil prized in Morocco, so droppings from these goats are collected and used to extract the nut oil.

You can find these goats along the western edge of Morocco near Essaouira, which is about 100 miles west of Marrakech.

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Read about Marrakech:

Marrakech's new Euro chic
The secret heart of old Marrakech's old opens up at a historic guesthouse

-- Jason La

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