There isn’t much more adorable than wild babies, and one of my favorites to photograph comes from the high country, our “new-found” neighbors, the mountain goats. These miniature bundles of joy are incredibly fun to observe as they frolic and play among the boulders of the alpine tundra. Much of the play is a way for them to begin to not only acclimate to their rocky home, but also begin the life lessons of herd dominance. Like most little ones, they also tend to get bouts of the “zoomies”, bursts of activity that send them running and often times simply leaping into the air for no apparent reason whatsoever aside from the simple expenditure of excess energy, quite a comical activity to witness.
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I say “new-found” as mountain goats are not native to Colorado, nor were they ever. They are only indigenous in the continental US in the Cascades in Washington, as well as parts of Idaho and western Montana, though introductions in various states have vastly spread the population. It is theorized that the species originated in the eastern Himalaya and Mongolia many thousands of years ago, and eventually migrated over the Bering land bridge to establish a population in North America. These goats have evolved to become the only of their kind in the entire world, interestingly closely related to antelope and gazelle in their evolution.
Their introduction to our mountains began in 1947, with the last being brought in 1972, the intention of said introduction being a new type of game for hunters. While their healthy growth in numbers has certainly satisfied the need of the original intent of the introduction, with numbers in Colorado now in the thousands, it is debated as to whether the introduction has been good for the overall environment, as they carry disease that has helped to diminish the numbers of native bighorn sheep, and some populations have been known to devastate indigenous plants due to their hardy appetites.
“Locally”, the largest population can be found atop Mt Evans (now re-named Mt Blue Sky), one of the original introduction locations being at Summit Lake about 2,000 feet below the summit. A small population is considered established in Rocky Mountain National Park, and there have also been scant sightings of lone goats in our own Indian Peaks back yard. While I have yet to encounter any here, I have found tufts of their thick coats strewn around Brainard Lake in the very early opening season and know that they have been seen occasionally on Niwot Ridge as well as recent sightings and photos in the last couple years higher up.
Mountain Goats have an insatiable desire for salts and minerals which has led to a very strong sense of ease around humans. Not only have they acquired a taste for salts derived from human sweat (from people hand feeding them), but also from human urine found near trails. This has evolved into them not only being generally unafraid of humans, but also uninhibited in approaching humans, sometimes in an aggressive manner. While attacks are rare, they can certainly happen, and with their sharp horns, can cause severe injury or even death. As with any wildlife, it is best to maintain a safe distance from them (50 yards recommended) and haze them with yells and shouts if pursuit ensues. In some cases, specifically atop Mt Evans, that can be a challenge as the herd tends to frequent the parking area at the summit not only for grazing territory but also because they greatly enjoy licking the cars of their dirt and “salt” build-up, which is not healthy for the animals as Colorado uses Magnesium Chloride as a road de-icing agent, a substance toxic for consumption.
The adorable very newborn twins in the image were observed a few years ago during a wonderful afternoon and evening spent at the top of the world watching the babies at play. While the day was spent with the majority of the herd and newborns that were a bit older by at least a couple weeks, as the day was winding down a lone mama appeared with these two in tow. Mother casually took her evening graze while these two alternately romped and rested, guessing only a few days old themselves and not yet ready to join the others in their play (note that they were safely photographed from a good distance with a telephoto lens, and even then, the image is tightly cropped to give the appearance of a close-up). While quite new to the world, they showed a good bit of confidence in their surroundings as they played, and even showed a brief bit of curiosity at the strange human with the big eye lying on the ground watching them. A visit a few weeks later found them fitting in quite well with the rest of the year’s little ones, bringing a total of seven babies to the herd. Again, quite a treat to enjoy observing as they romped among the rocks playing King of the Hill as they began to establish their hierarchy in life on the mountain.
Originally published in The Mountain-Ear
