We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! Tamri goats climbing argan tree with goat herders in the semi desert in Morocco. Incidentally, we hired a Berber guide whose insights opened up fresh ways to experience Morocco. This video was taken in southwestern Morocco by photographer Michael Chinnici (who leads Moroccan photo tours, so you can see and capture this magical sight yourself!). More than a hundred questions for initiating interesting conversations. Moroccan argan oil is made from the seed of the Argania Spinosa (Argan Tree), a native to the Souss-Massa-Drâa region of Morocco and Algeria. “And you don’t have to touch anyone’s crap.”. They are a thorny evergreen variety that grow in drought-ridden areas…they are hearty. Only then will these adorable, economically interesting, ecologically compromising ungulates be let back to nibble away up in the trees, and then produce that precious, precious poop. The stories you will read here about people who have overcome physical and emotional challenges in order to continue to travel are all individual experiences. In Morocco, goats will climb trees and stand on the branches to eat the leaves and fruits, which has the unfortunate consequence of stunting upward tree growth. They are so eager to munch on argan fruit that, after eating the low-hanging fruit, the goats actually scramble up the spiny trees to reach the higher fruit. While the fruit of the argan tree is inedible to humans, goats love it. Berbers make up about 40% of the population of Morocco and their language constitutes one of three official state languages. The goats eat the argan nuts for the nutritious qualities of the outer nut. 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. All rights reserved. Argan tree (Argania spinosa) seeds are the source of argan oil, which is used as a cooking oil and in the cosmetics industry. . The company pays the women directly, which allows them the dignity of earning money to provide for their own independence. Goats are the primary threat to the argan forests because they climb the trees to graze their leaves.” If processing argan oil by hand means the buying and herding of fewer goats, you might think this would lead in turn to fewer goats in trees. Then, I tasted the oil as prepared in various appealing dips and dressings. The cloven-hoofed goats in Morocco only climb one particular type of tree: the Argania spinosa, typically referred to as the argan tree. There you may or may not get lucky as the goats climb the trees at their own whim but you will at least know that no goat suffered for a picture. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. In fact, the owner placed the goats we saw in the argan tree on little stands for visitors to photograph, which I obligingly did. Goat herders lead their flocks through the argan (Argania spinosa) forests, where the animals can clamber up trees 8 to 10 metres high and strip them nearly bare. I understand now why the west uses it in all sorts of cuisine. The nut contains the argan oil in a very hard shell, however, and the goats cannot digest it. While the fruit of the argan tree is inedible to humans, goats love it. Itinerary Your journey starts with pick up from your hotel or accommodation, our team will drive you to the starting point “Goats in Argan Welcome to {{displayDomain}} , a US site operated by Expedia, Inc., a Washington corporation. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. There is an abundance of the argan tree in the Souss Massa Draa region outside Marrakech, an area very popular with tourists. But the seeds of the argan trees that these goats graze on are about an inch long and a half-inch across — too big for a goat to pass. Because food in this region is scarce, the goats have adapted to climb the argan trees for their bright yellow, olive-sized fruit. Any suggestion, how and where to go to see the goats? Argan Tree Goats of Morocco Morocco is the only country in the world where domestic goats graze off the ground and in the trees. You can see I didn’t make it out empty-handed. In some parts of Morocco, argan takes the place of the olive as a source of forage, oil, timber, and fuel in Berber society. The Goat Lady also offers herds of up to 100 goats. They are a thorny evergreen variety that grow in drought-ridden areas…they are hearty. Inside, you’ll see women busily shelling the nuts by hand to get to the meat inside, which contains the argan oil. Find the perfect argan tree goats stock photo. The tree reaches heights of 25-30 feet, and has a knobby, twisted trunk that allows for goat climbers. Afterward, I tested some argan oil products on my skin and . It ends with the election of Miss Roses. Which is all well and good. In order to access them, goats are known to climb the trees and munch away happily. Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter, Animal Welfare Editor, The Huffington Post. Your email address will not be published. The festival opens with a blanket of rose petals covering the streets and continues for three days with dancers and musicians performing, and perfume afficionados buying supplies. In the arid climate of southwestern Morocco, in the Souss Valley the local goats have become adapted to unique methods of grazing.The famed tree-climbing goats grab their meals as high as 26 to 33 feet off the ground in argan trees. The Argan trees grow 8-10 metres high and can live for 150-200 years. One goat herder had seen the business side of this and turned into an attraction for tourists commuting between Marrakech and Essaouira. Our tour guide Youssef explained that this tourist attraction was simply called “goats on a tree” – and that is exactly what you got! Image of eating, balance, tree - 8483961 The nut passes directly through the goat’s intestinal tract, excreted in the manure, and … If you keen to see the real argan tree goats take the road from Agadir to Essaouira. The trees are argan, and their unlikely companions are goats. But, if we’d taken the road a little further south toward the Anti-Atlas Mountains and into the lovely Souss Valley, we could have seen forests of argan trees. The goats eat the argan nuts for the nutritious qualities of the outer nut. Go to Travel Tips to download your copy. Clearly, a scenario that would be a net negative for the amount of whimsy and delight in the world. Download all free or royalty-free photos and vectors. Tamri goats climbing argan tree with goat herders in the semi desert in Morocco. Question #1: What do goats in argan trees and the city of roses have in common? I don't know how you will be travelling, but I suppose renting a car would be ideal. They will graze both beneath the tree and up in its aerial leaves. In some parts of Morocco, goats can be found perched on the branches of argan trees, nibbling away at their fruit and leaves. After the goats have digested the fruit, they expel pits which contain kernels that are ground to produce a highly valuable, nutty argan oil. Thousands of new, high-quality pictures added every day. As mentioned, goats love the kernels of the argan trees and constitute a major part of their diet in the region. The nut contains the argan oil in a very hard shell, however, and the goats cannot digest it. Nope, your eyes aren't going baa-d. What you're seeing here is indeed a tree full of goats. And if it had been June when the argan fruit is ripe, we’d have seen local goats thoroughly enjoying themselves in the trees without the farmer’s insistence. This constitutes the traditional harvesting method, particularly used for cosmetic purposes. Goats climb argan trees in order to eat their black olive-like fruits. Answer: (a) the Berbers of Morocco are indigenous people similar to the First Nations people of North America. As mentioned, goats love the kernels of the argan trees and constitute a major part of their diet in the region. . Moroccans usually use the flesh as animal feed. At least that's the traditional method. Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories. Argan oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. The tree is native to southern Morocco, where it grows in open forests up to an altitude of more than 5,000 feet. ! Goats Of The Argan Trees. The tree … Once upon a time these nimble goats climbed up argan trees to eat the fruit. Part of HuffPost News. You could easily find a dozen goats standing on the branches of a single tree. Have you done something on a trip you later regretted for ethical reasons? They actually help in the production of one of Morocco’s most valuable products: argan oil, dubbed "desert gold". What Do The Moroccan Argan Tree And Moroccan Mountain Goat Have In Common? Required fields are marked *. On the surface, one can see the goats climbing the Argania spinosa commonly known as the argan tree. To extract the kernels, workers first dry argan fruit in the open air and then remove the fleshy pulp. When I saw the goats in argan trees, we were driving the 207 highway in Morocco from Ouarzazate toward Essaouira. Apparently the goats like to feast on the leaves of argan trees and are amazingly able to climb them quite easily. The inner kernel passes through their gut and is excreted, whereupon the Morocans pick it up and crush it for the oil. Goats on an Argan tree near Taroudannt (Morocco) Dromedar61 (CC BY-SA 3.0) (Jan '17) burkh4rt (Atlas Obscura User) Goats in Argan Nut treen, Morocco seen from the below Elgaard (CC BY-SA 4.0) Find goats argan tree stock images in HD and millions of other royalty-free stock photos, illustrations and vectors in the Shutterstock collection. Fun fact: As much as 84 percent of the goats' diet can be fruit and leaves, according to a study in the journal Small Ruminant Research. Goats in Argan Argania spinosa tree as seen in Morocco. On another positive note, the goats are engaged in a self-marination process … It shows the country's famous goats, who climb high into argan trees to eat fruit and leaves. There you may or may not get lucky as the goats climb the trees at their own whim but you will at least know that no goat suffered for a picture. Then I learned that the argan forest was a UNESCO protected site and that the goats actually feasted on more than the ripe fruit. For many years I traveled to the south of Morocco, in the Souss area where the Argan trees forest is and I never saw a goat on a tree. Dromedar61 [CC by 2.0]/Wikimedia Commons. "Elsewhere in Morocco, women will harvest Argan oil by hand, which is … Goats in trees. you see those shopping baskets under the Amlou sign? Michael Chinnici/PHOTO WORKSHOP ADVENTURES, Michael Chinnici/Photo Workshop Adventures, which are collected, processed and turned into very expensive cosmetics and food, argan oil is mostly manufactured by hand now, looked at some of the nerdier aspects of argan oil. The oil comes from the nuts of argan trees, and humans aren't the only ones interested in getting a piece of the action. What Lybbert found is that the economics of argan oil are very complicated, but that participating in the argan oil market tends to make a family richer and presents important opportunities for women and girls. If processing argan oil by hand means the buying and herding of fewer goats, you might think this would lead in turn to fewer goats in trees. These days, however, machinery often replaces goats in larger operations, especially those selling argan oil for food. You could see them from a bus or taxi, but would be unable to stop and take pictures. Maybe I can time it right and travel from the roses to the argan forests and see goats munching nuts in the trees. In some parts of Morocco, goats can be found perched on the branches of argan trees, nibbling away at their fruit and leaves. Your Argan Tree Goats stock images are ready. Healing Hooves' herd of 250 goats and sheep starts around $700 and Rent-A-Ruminant offers 15-, 60- or 120-goat herds for $250 to $725 a day. Alas, not so. Shortly after our goats-in-tree sighting, we stopped at a women’s cooperative that employs survivors of abuse in the production of argan oil. The Luxurious Poop From These Tree-Climbing Goats Produces Argan Oil. On our trip to Essaouira, we also came across one tree full of goats and a goat herder collecting money to take pictures of his goats. "Microlevel evidence suggests that the [argan] boom is benefiting some locals," he writes in his paper, "but it has altered forest exploitation by increasing short-run fruit collection incentives rather than long-run concerns of forest sustainability.". Goats in Morocco do climb trees naturally, and help to create argan oil in the process — they eat the trees' fruit, and then release nuts through their waste. The timing for the Festival of Roses varies according to the weather, but you’ll get about a month’s advance notice. While the traditional method allows the goats to processes the nuts first, as this softens the husk, some Berber … "Also, having so many goats in one place threatens the sustainability of the trees as their hooves damage the branches. On another positive note, the goats are engaged in a self-marination process as their flesh takes on the wonderful aroma of argan. I am not a medical doctor. No need to register, buy now! Here’s some directions in case you want to drop by. Apparently the goats climbed specific trees, Argan trees, mainly found in the southern part of Morocco. But children, which is to say human kids, are doing their parts for both the economy and the environment by keeping the goats grounded -- until the tourists pay up. (b) argan is often called Berber gold. The Argan Tree and Its Oil Tales Of Goats And The Argan Tree…. It has a bit of a gritty or maybe I should say chewy taste, earthy, gently sweet, and utterly delicious. Goats. Goats seem to be everywhere in pop culture these days, from bleating goat videos on shows like The Good Wife to the always Instagramable goat yoga.So it should come as no surprise that pictures of goats climbing argan trees in Morocco are what’s giving us life this week. The trees are argan, and their unlikely companions are goats. Well, maybe Moroccan kids and tourists together can help fix this problem, at least a little bit. Tap here to turn on desktop notifications to get the news sent straight to you. On our trip to Essaouira, we also came across one tree full of goats and a goat herder collecting money to take pictures of his goats. Goats on and around an argan tree near Taroudannt, Morocco. These days not a lot but it is said that once upon a time it was common for Tamri goats, also known as the Moroccan mountain goat, to feast upon the fruits of the Moroccan argan oil tree. Since our visit to Morocco occurred in September, we visited an outlet for rose products. Question #2: What do goats and cosmetics have in common? The Argania tree is not the most aesthetically pleasing plant in the world with a rough, thorny bark and gangly, crooked branches. But the seeds of the argan trees that these goats graze on are about an inch long and a half-inch across — too big for a goat to pass. . The Argan tree produces a bitter fruit that looks a bit like an olive, and the goats climb up to 30 feet off the ground to comb the branches to eat them. Lybbert tells The Huffington Post that the goats aren't merely cute cogs in the argan oil-making machine. The cloven-hoofed goats in Morocco only climb one particular type of tree: the Argania spinosa, typically referred to as the argan tree. Goats are the primary threat to the argan forests because they climb the trees to graze their leaves.". The Atlas beetle can push around 850 times its weight. These tree-climbing goats are such a unique draw that eager visitors will travel from all over to come see them up on high. You've goat to see these billies and does. Definitely check out more photos and videos of the tree-climbing goats on Michael Chinnici's website. The tree … While the fruit of the argan tree is inedible to humans, goats love it. Local goats still climb argan trees to eat the fruit; The goats cannot digest the nuts and the seeds within them, and instead they pass through their systems. The nut passes directly through the goat’s intestinal tract, excreted in the manure, and subsequently picked up by the argan farmers. And get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share! On another positive note, the goats are engaged in a self-marination process as their flesh takes on the wonderful aroma of argan.