Dam goats scale dam rocks in search of dam salt in dam photos

Mountain goats have no problem applying their gravity defying climbing skills to manmade structures like hydro-electric dams if it means finding a good salt lick.

Sun, Jan 01 2012 at 6:56 PM

Related Topics:

Energy, Hydropower

Photo: Adriano Migliorati

What's cooler than a goat? A dam goat! The hoof of the Alpine ibex has evolved to allow the animal to expertly traverse impossibly steep terrain. The Alpine ibex near a not-quite-vertical dam in Spain have taken to climbing the dam to lick the salt that forms on the rocks, balancing themselves on tiny holds fronting the steep face hundreds of feet up. Photographer Adriano Miglioratio of Caters News took a few photos posted up over at National Geographic that tell the story of these extreme cliff-scaling goats. Click over to National Geographic to see them all. You can also swing by Break.com to see a video of an ibex using its long curved horn to scratch its butt (hey, nature is just as much itchy butts as it is exquisite grace).

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