Goats in an Argan Tree
The argan tree, Argania spinosa, is a popular food source for agile Moroccan goats who climb the tree to feast upon its leaves and fruit. Indigenous to Morocco, the argan tree is found in a vast forest that stretches more than 64 square kilometers (more than 25 square miles) from Essaouira to Agadir. Although the forest is state-owned, it is divided by common law so that each family within its confines has the right to own a few trees. The families recognize an unwritten law that prohibits one family’s goats from climbing another family’s trees, particularly when the trees are flowering.