Can goats climb dams?
The reason why Ibex climb dams is rather easy: they are looking for salt. The Ibex’s herbivorous diet is lacking in salt, especially calcium salts. Dam walls, composed of stones and concrete, seem to be a precious source of salts for these extraordinary animals that are able to exploit all available resources.
Do mountain goats ever fall to their death?
At least as many goats tumble downhill as a result of battling as fall in ordinary climbing mishaps. No one knows how many of the animals fall to their deaths. It’s common sense that not many knock each other off cliffs, or too few would survive.
Where did the goats climb up the dam?
Photographer Paolo Seimandi, 34, captured the stunning moment a herd of Alpine Ibexes climbed up a dam in Gran Paradiso National Park in Northern Italy. The gravity-defying goats typically live in very steep and rocky terrain at altitudes of up to 4,600m and have no fear of falling whether climbing up or down the dam wall.
What kind of animal can climb a dam?
Only the Alpine Ibex can exploit this resource. Being excellent climbers, the Ibex will climb the sheer vertical face of the dam’s wall using the small protruding boulders as foothold to lick ettringite off the wall’s surface. The Ibex can scale such great heights because of their soft, split hooves that can grip any surface like a pincer.
Why does an Alpine goat lick the dirt?
Scientists also believe that some animals lick dirt and minerals because it neutralizes toxins they may ingest. The Alpine ibex became an internet sensation when an Italian hiker, Adriano Migliorati, posted pictures of the goats dotting the dam.
Where can I see an ibex climb a dam?
The Ibex can scale such great heights because of their soft, split hooves that can grip any surface like a pincer. The Cingino Dam in northern Italy, not far from the Swiss border, is one place where you can observe the Alpine Ibex’s gravity-defying stunts—but it’s not the only place.