Mountain goat kid in western Montana, USA

© Donald M. Jones/Minden Picture

Wrapping up warm for winter

High up in mountainous regions of North America, mountain goats’ climbing skills allow them to clamber up extraordinarily steep, rocky slopes, beyond the reach of most predators. From southern Alaska to the northern Rockies, these sure-footed creatures live at high altitudes and are often found above 13,000ft.

In winter they migrate downhill a bit to seek shelter in subalpine forests with south-facing rocky ledges, where the sunshine and wind keep the ice at bay. Here they can forage for their food of choice - lichen, mosses, grass and other wintry greens. Their woolly, two-layered coats keep them toasty as temperatures dip, which is probably why even in the chill of western Montana, USA, this young mountain goat, or kid, appears to be having a ball.