- Hi, my name is Allison
and I'm an animal keeper here at Woodland Park Zoo.
Today, I'm gonna be talking to you
about the greatest of all time
rock climber, the mountain goat.
Let me introduce you to our friends.
Way up high on the rocks,
you're gonna see Zeus, he's our adult male
and he is three years old.
On the far left side, you're gonna see Atlin
who's our five-year-old female.
Zeus and Atlin gave birth to Luna
who is our spring baby from last year.
she's gonna be turning one year old on May 15th.
The more medium sized goat that you see
kind of in the middle there that's Hera
and she's two years old.
So what is it that makes these animals such adept climbers?
The answer is biological adaptations.
Let's start from the ground up.
The structure of a mountain goat's feet
makes them well adapted to climbing on Alpine terrain.
Mountain goats are even towed ungulates
which means they have hoofed feet with two independent toes.
Their hooves are analogous to our fingernails
which essentially means
that mountain goats are climbing on their tiptoes
which means they can balance on very narrow ledges
along the mountain side.
Under their hoof is a rubbery footpad
and it is concave in shape.
So the combination of a thick outer hoof
and a rubbery concave footpad creates a suction cup effect
which is really helpful for them to attach themselves
to the mountainside and climb with ease.
Above their hoof, you'll notice a dew claw
which can act as emergency brakes.
It's an extra projection of their hoof,
which can help if they do slip down the mountain side.
Well-developed neck and shoulder muscles means
that they have the strength to propel themselves uphill.
The goat's sure-footedness helps them
escape from predators in the wild.
Cougars and wolves are not as well adapted
to climbing such rocky terrain.
And the best way for goats to survive is to escape
from these predators by climbing to greater heights.
Both males and females have two black horns
which they can use as extra defense
if they get too close to these predators.
With eyes on either side of their head
mountain goats have a really good field of vision
which means they can spot potential danger
from far away.
Thick wool coats keep these animals
protected from harsh mountain conditions.
A dense undercoat plus an overlayer
of thicker hollow hairs means they're well-insulated
and can survive in temperatures as low
as negative 50 degrees and winds gusting
up to a hundred miles per hour.
Mountain goats are endemic to North America.
Their natural range is Alaska,
Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Introduced populations exist in Colorado, South Dakota,
Utah and Nevada to name a few.
The conservation status of the goat
in the wild is a complicated story.
In certain parts of their natural range
populations are in decline.
However, in these areas where humans have
introduced goat populations
the goats can actually threaten local wildlife and plants
in that area because of overgrazing, trampling vegetation
and competing with other animals.
Here at Woodland Park Zoo we are able to provide them
with the nutrition that they need.
In the wild, mountain goats would be foraging
for grasses, lichens and low shrubs.
Here at Woodland Park Zoo
we provide them with a complete grain diet.
We also supplement them
with produce such as romaine, apples,
carrots and sweet potatoes.
In order to mimic their natural diet,
we provide hay and fresh sprouts.
Some of their favorites include
sword fern and viburnum.
Of course the goats are also provided
with a large salt block to make sure
that they're getting those nutrients as well.
Another benefit of living at Woodland Park Zoo
is the healthcare.
We have vet staff on grounds every day.
Keepers are well skilled at looking at behavioral changes
in the individual to look for signs of illness and injury.
Another thing that keepers do is
weigh our goats every month.
Right now, Luna is about a hundred pounds
and we're getting to watch her grow every day.
Zeus and Atlin weigh about 190 and Hera is 120 pounds.
It's amazing to me to think that an animal this dense
and heavy is able to scale up the mountain with such ease.
Thank you for joining me today.
I hope you learned a little bit about mountain goats
and remember don't be like an invasive mountain goat.
Stay on the trails when you're out hiking
and preserve the lands for future generations.
(bright music)