It’s fairly common knowledge that mountain goats are excellent climbers. They’re known to have sure footing and have seemingly no fear of heights. But some goats in Italy are taking things a step further by climbing the vertical face of a dam.
The Antrona Valley Natural Park is home to a dam that’s seeping with natural minerals. The park is also home to wild alpine ibex, a type of wild goat. The ibex are known to scale the vertical dam face to get to the minerals and now there’s video evidence.
Professor Brian Cox with Forces of Nature went to the Antrona Valley Natural Park in hopes of spotting the ibex in action. Not only was he able to witness their incredible climbing, but he filmed the experience for the world to see.
In the video, it appears as if the goats are completely defying gravity by walking up a vertical wall and one wrong move could send the ibex falling to its death. Even babies follow their moms up the wall! The ibex risk the trek up the dam in order to reach the mineral salt deposits that the stones of the wall contain, which they need in order to survive and thrive.
Check out the incredible footage below:
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