As spring nears, B.C.’s greatest climber returns to the province’s rocky bluffs

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High on the rocky bluffs above Sunningdale as springtime nears, one of nature’s most extraordinary climbers has returned — Oreamnos americanus, better known as the mountain goat.

With their thick white coats and distinct horns, these elusive creatures are built for survival in some of the harshest landscapes on Earth.

Mountain goats are not actually goats but belong to a unique lineage of hoofed mammals adapted to life at dizzying heights.

They inhabit the steep, rocky terrain of B.C.’s coastal mountains, the Rockies and interior plateaus, often seen as white specks navigating cliffs that would terrify most other animals.

Unlike deer or elk, which roam open meadows and forests, mountain goats thrive where predators like wolves and cougars struggle to follow.

Specially adapted hooves with rubbery pads that grip rock faces like climbing shoes, allow them to scale slopes steeper than 60 degrees.

Each spring, nannies (females) give birth to a single kid on secluded ledges, a natural defence against hungry predators. Within hours, the newborn is up and climbing, following its mother along impossible rock faces as if defying gravity.

But the mountains are unforgiving: avalanches, falls and brutal winters take a toll, and many kids won’t survive their first year.

Those that do grow into formidable adults, with billies (males) reaching over 100 kilograms and living up to 12 years.

Unlike most alpine animals that migrate to lower elevations in winter, mountain goats often stay high, seeking out wind-scoured ridges where snow doesn’t accumulate as deeply.

Their dense woolly coats, among the warmest of any North American mammal, help them endure temperatures plunging below -30°C.

Diet-wise, they are true survivalists, feeding on whatever the mountains provide: grasses, shrubs, lichen and even conifer needles in winter. Every spring, to visit mineral licks, they travel kilometres through dense forest to replenish essential nutrients.

These gatherings are one of the few times humans might see them up close.

British Columbia is home to roughly 50,000 mountain goats, over half the world’s population.

Yet, despite their remote habitat, they are not immune to human impact.

Roads and logging disrupt migration routes, while helicopter tourism and backcountry recreation cause stress, sometimes forcing goats to abandon key wintering areas. Climate change also looms as a threat, with rising temperatures shrinking alpine meadows and altering snow conditions.

Fortunately, conservation efforts are in place.

Hunting is strictly regulated, and many goat habitats are protected within B.C.’s provincial and national parks.

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