Mountain Goats Have Back on Their Hooves

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Mamma mountain goat stays below her kid a lot of the time when they're in precarious terrain. And if it falls, mam's body is higher to to catch it. The average weight of a mountain goat is between a hundred and 50 and 300 pounds. But one heavenly chunk tipped the scales at three 85 kilos - that's a hundred and 74 kilos of just pure cliff ide stink.

Mountain goats are not goats. And there’s only one living species, Oreamnos americanus. WHAT?? Montana-based wildlife biologist and Oreamnologist Julie Cunningham counts mountain goats from helicopters, traps and tests them for science, and spends even her off days searching for them on mountaintops. We cover their population, sensual mating habits, the feel of their wool, pungent goatwhiff, tips for hikers and how these animals defy gravity scaling near-vertical cliffs. Oh also, why your favorite trail might be delicious.

Julie Cunningham’s bio

A donation was made to the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance: GoatAlliance.org

You may also enjoy: Cervidology (DEER), Bovine Neuropathology (HEADBUTTING), Neuropathology (CONCUSSIONS), Cryoseismology (ICEQUAKES), Bryology (MOSS), Phenology (SEASONS)

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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media

Transcripts by Emily White of The Wordary