Sept 26, 2010: Dam Goats

I got an email saying this is Mountain Goats on a dam in Montana.
As scary as it looks, it's not as steep, and less treacherous, than their normal haunts.



I think it's more likely they're goats, or Ibex, on a European dam.
Apparently they're licking minerals from the masonry.






Oh, and I'm taking tomorrow, monday the 27th, off.

I got those same pix, only attributed to Buffalo Bill Dam (in Wyoming). I looked the dam up, and it wasn't that.

I'd seen this too:

There are other clips too - and at different dams, it seems it's not too uncommon around the world.

What happens when you toss an M80 by them?

Whichever dam it is, the climbing ability of those goats is amazing.

Most US dams that size, are smooth faced concrete. But how they negotiate vertical rock walls is beyond me. I know they have hooves that will stick to a rock sticking out 2 or 3 inches, but their bodies don't fit in that space. That means their center of gravity is hanging out in space. It's magical I tells ya... ever wonder why the devil has goat horns?

I heard a story of a pipeliner in West Texas parking his "New"car inside of a gate to keep someone stealing his car. He came back that evening and hundreds of goats climbed on his car doing the "Happy Dance". The damage looked like a hail storm or a person beating his car with a little hammer over every square inch of the car body.

That's easy to believe, jano, goats just gotta get high.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce It's magical I tells ya... ever wonder why the devil has goat horns?

The Spectacular Spidergoats.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce That's easy to believe, jano, goats just gotta get high.

It was the "What's New" section of Snopes today.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/buffalobill.asp

They report it is not Wyoming but Alpine Ibex on the Diga del Cingino (Cingino Dam) in northern Italy.

Ah, so I was sorta right. I was thinking Spain/Portugal, but I'll take Italy.

I was under the impression Ibex are endangered, but that may be the Spanish ones. If so, maybe this is why.

What stupid goats they are, look at all the lovely green grass on either side of the Dam. Silly Billy Goats.

Don't be sexist, there are Nanny goats too.

Ha ha Bruce.

that makes my hands sweat

Then you can just lick the salt off your hands, instead of climbing the dam.

I wonder if we could line a stew pot up under one of them? Then launch a balloon of virgin olive oil at its feet.

Here's a shot from the bottom of the dam. It looks like they have a snow covering to contend with, also.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce Apparently they're licking minerals from the masonry.

Naw, that's not snow. You'd see it in the shade of the grassy area. That's old concrete leaching all sorts of stuff.

You're probably right, the original pictures show them on stones, but the lower part could be smoother concrete/mortar with leached out efflorescence.

Happened upon another picture of the Alpine Ibex, on the dam wall, in Gran Paradiso National Park, Northern Italy.



It still blows me away they can do that.

I just sent this to Lil' Pete, maybe she'll find a way to see them.