What a tough life for both mountain goats and bears. It’s one of those situations where I have sympathy for both the predator and the prey animals. They both need to survive, and they do what they must to accomplish that. The consequences can be deadly.
Once the bear hit that edge I knew it was game over for anyone, except the mountain goat. It was too steep to climb back up. I was never expecting that ending though. Nature is cruel but it’s a reality.
Mountain goats utilize salts and minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and phosphorus) found in eroding cliff faces to correct their chemical balance from all the succulent green vegetation they consume each spring.
As an experienced goat hunter, I can attest that they fall too, although rarely. At the base of the most treacherous cliffs the bones of numerous goats are proof positive that they are fallible on occasion.
If you have ever wondered or assumed what a grizzly bear and a mountain goat would do if they crossed paths, here’s one example of one of those situations. It might be safe to say that stomping your foot as a human being will probably not work in deterring a hungry grizzly.
