What happens in this picture is a testament to goat awesomeness. The photo was taken in Italy, at the Cingino Dam, Gran Paradiso National Park in Northern Italy. At first glance, there’s not much happening on the dam, except for a few dark specs. But zoom in a bit more and those specs are actually goats standing on the seemingly vertical construction. So what’s happening?!
The goats in the picture are called Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). Like many members of the genus Capra, they’re known for their impressive climbing skills. These nimble creatures are native to the European Alps, and they’re actually tightly connected to the Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy. By the 19th century, they were almost sent into extinction by hunting. There were less than 100 individuals in the wild, all of them in Gran Paradiso.
But what’s happening here is not linked to that bottleneck event.
The answer lies in their evolutionary adaptations and the quest for essential nutrients. The dam walls provide a rich source of mineral salts that the goats need for their health, particularly in the form of calcium and magnesium. The goats lick the walls and get the minerals that are important for the development and maintenance of their bones and horns. It’s also a place where they are safe from predators because what predator would climb that?
In their natural alpine environment, ibexes typically obtain these minerals from salt licks or certain plants. However, the scarcity of these sources in some regions has driven them to seek alternatives. The concrete surfaces of dams, often rich in salts due to construction materials and processes, present an accessible and concentrated source of these vital nutrients.
These goats exhibit exceptional balance and precision, using their specialized hooves to grip the tiniest of ledges and crevices. The hooves of ibexes are cloven, with split tips that can spread apart to increase grip. The rough, rubbery pads provide traction, allowing them to maintain their footing on the nearly vertical surfaces.
This physical ability has been honed by generations of living in treacherous mountainous environments. If you think about it, climbing-wise, a dam is just a mountain on steroids — and these goats are really good at climbing.
This remarkable ability doesn’t save them from all their conservation problems, however. Although their numbers have risen in the past century, they’ve gone through a genetic bottleneck. This means they’re vulnerable to diseases because their immune system has low diversity. This problem is compounded by hybridization with domestic goats that are sometimes allowed to roam in the habitat of the Alpine Ibex.
As we marvel at the sight of ibex goats defying gravity, it’s important to also think about their story and evolution. These goats are truly remarkable creatures.
