# Why do mountain goats climb mountains? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2014, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937 "2014-01-28T09:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/41 "2014-01-31T22:09:44Z")
So why don’t house cats climb houses? ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/42 "2014-01-31T23:01:58Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > No, those are just the one showing off for YouTube videos and nature documentaries. You _might_ have included some links, you know :rolleyes: ;): 1. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCv4Hlrc5to](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCv4Hlrc5to) 2. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZWxlxrIWus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZWxlxrIWus) [sub]Safety gear? I _scoff_ at your “safety gear”. I used to be a free-climber. I _scoff_ at your lines and helmets! (☹ I also now have more broken bones than the average person has gotten, more surgeries to fix them, and more metal permanently installed. Oh, and now I’m as acrophobic as anyone you can find. ☹ Maybe that wasn’t such a wise strategy…) [/sub] 3. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT-Ywtf23ho](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT-Ywtf23ho) 4. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmqv6PmpcqE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmqv6PmpcqE) [sub]LOOKATTHECUTEGOATATTHEEND!!![/sub] 5. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMKEKvt4mKo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMKEKvt4mKo) [sub]But sometimes they miss. Oops. Splat![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/43 "2014-02-01T05:48:37Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > [Not airborne predators…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VklTs-Tid_I) (warning to the faint hearted…) That is one of the most fascinating things I think I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/44 "2014-02-01T06:45:47Z")
Because they caaaaaaaaan ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/45 "2014-02-01T14:56:10Z")
I did not know forage is also a noun. And I thought if learn something new about moutain goats. You never can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/46 "2014-02-01T17:27:19Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I’ll pm you my digital photos of mountain goats ~13000 ft if you want. They’re pretty far away, the way mountain goats like it. You couldn’t catch one of those guys. 13000 ft is a lot of work for a human, but these guys _don’t even care_ that they’re up that high. It is utterly normal to them, and they are all Carl Lewis. The mountains are only in your mind. [Far Side]Hey, what’s a mountain goat doing way up here in the clouds?[/FS] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wei\_ji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wei\_ji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wei_ji)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/47 "2014-02-01T21:13:44Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > They are successfully exploiting an otherwise unexploited niche. It is an environment that offers a balance (ha!) of food and protection. > > They don’t consciously try to “get” anything from it other than an opportunity to thrive and survive. What he said. I’m not sure whether the question was intended as more than a Zen koan, but “Novelty Bobble” has what I take to be the most honest answer. Note: “Because it is there” is so predictable. I’m ashamed to say I almost posted it myself, on impulse. You could argue, though, given “Novelty Bobble’s” answer, that “Because it is there” is essentially correct. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/48 "2014-02-01T22:02:57Z")
Maybe it is fun. Why assume animals are driving solely by ecological niches and mating strategies? My dog enjoys running and jumping around the house; the cat enjoys teasing the dog; I’d swear the birds in the backyard enjoys teasing them both. (But they didn’t do that with my previous cat, did they? She could catch them on the wing. They left her alone.) But I digress. Maybe the goats enjoy the view and breezes and the balancing. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/49 "2014-02-01T22:15:45Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I’ll pm you my digital photos of mountain goats…They’re pretty far away, the way mountain goats like it. Some goats at Glacier National Park have gotten pretty used to having humans around. I was at Logan Pass taking sunset pics one evening and there were a group of them browsing down the hillside from me. They started moving in my direction and I sat stock still as they approached. They continued moving up the hill and wandered right past me, so close I could’ve touched them. ([overly photoshopped image](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Vf9cgYA4CxY/SxnIizB7Q-I/AAAAAAAAPjA/sM4XZrhL5N0/s1600/nwiwlf2.jpg)) It wasn’t until later I thought about what kind of damage those horns could’ve done. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/50 "2014-02-01T22:23:32Z")
Because they like [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1GQpoRhmno) song. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/51 "2014-02-03T11:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Why do mountain goats climb mountains? To get to the other side. (thank you. I’ll be here all night.) now please click on : [www.instantrimshot.com](http://www.instantrimshot.com) ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937/52 "2014-02-03T16:47:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > So why don’t house cats climb houses? Who says they don’t? I had one that for weeks would climb the trees around the house, achieve its goal of being on the roof, and then let out a specific cry that was very clearly translated as “Good cripes I’m on the roof, what’s your plan for getting me down from here?” (I may be paraphrasing the first part a bit… I’m not that fluent in cat profanity) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mountain-goats-climb-mountains/679937.md?page=2)