Author Topic: Moroccan tree goats  (Read 4039 times)

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Offline Maik

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Moroccan tree goats
« on: Tuesday, 23 April, 2019 @ 22:23:52 »


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It seemed too good to be true. Visitors to Morocco have long flocked to the roads outside Marrakech to take photographs of goats who climbed into the low boughs of the Argania tree.

Such pictures are widely shared on social media and often decorate the pages of guide books to Morocco.

But an investigation by Aaron Gekoski, a British environmentalist photographer, has uncovered that the tourist destination seems to be an exploitative scam.

Local farmers appear to be bringing the goats in from other areas and forcing them into the trees before charging tourists to take photographs of them.

When the goats eventually tire from balancing on the tree branches they are brought down and new goats are swapped in.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/23/goat-true-morocco-tourist-site-goats-climb-tree-exploitative/

Offline TonyKath

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Re: Moroccan tree goats
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday, 24 April, 2019 @ 12:17:45 »
We've seen goats in argan trees in Morocco many times.  If you went to photograph them the joke was always "don't forget to tip the lad who put them up there". I'm not convinced it's just a scam, though. Firstly you can see goats in trees as you drive where there aren't any people and it is clearly not a tourist stop - probably not even anywhere to park. Secondly I don't think it would be very easy picking up a goat and putting it in a tree.  There would be a lot of injured goats - and lads!  Much of Morocco is very arid there is very little for the goats to eat apart from possibly a small amount of very dry grass.


Tony

Offline Colleywobble

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Re: Moroccan tree goats
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday, 24 April, 2019 @ 17:58:55 »


Quote
It seemed too good to be true. Visitors to Morocco have long flocked to the roads outside Marrakech to take photographs of goats who climbed into the low boughs of the Argania tree.

Such pictures are widely shared on social media and often decorate the pages of guide books to Morocco.

But an investigation by Aaron Gekoski, a British environmentalist photographer, has uncovered that the tourist destination seems to be an exploitative scam.

Local farmers appear to be bringing the goats in from other areas and forcing them into the trees before charging tourists to take photographs of them.

When the goats eventually tire from balancing on the tree branches they are brought down and new goats are swapped in.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/23/goat-true-morocco-tourist-site-goats-climb-tree-exploitative/
You only have to go to the car park at Porto Skala Hotel and you will see goats eating in the trees. They also like clog dancing on your car if you are not careful. Its ok Maik it wasn't one of yours it belonged to Makis at CBR,  so that's ok isn't it? :schtum: