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Renee Lavoie, age 11, of Coventry, R.I., for her question:

DO MOUNTAIN GOATS LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS?

In North America we call him the Rocky Mountain goat ¬but few of us ever get a chance to behold him among his lofty peaks. He is at home above the timberline, where he climbs from crag to crag. Few enemies dare to challenge him, and even the wintry gales do not bother him. When avalanches of snow plunge down the slopes, the smart, sure footed fellow merely climbs upward to the highest peak.

Wild goats are born climbers, though most of them prefer to live on grassy, rock strewn slopes. In the Old World, several species are quite at home among the peaks of the tallest mountains. But none of them is as handsome as our splendid Rocky Mountain goat. He gazes down on the world from the highest peaks, and his range extends from Montana through Canada and Alaska.    

In some cases it is hard to tell the difference between wild goats, sheep and antelopes. Our sure footed Rocky Mountain goat resembles the swift footed antelopes, and he may be classed as the goat antelope. He can run up a steep cliff and spring from peak to pointed peak, always sure of landing securely on his little black boots.

His humped shoulders stand about 40 inches high, and his body is 5 feet long, plus a 6 inch tail. His total weight is about 300 pounds, and his snow white coat tends to make him look larger than life. His shaggy white knee pants reach down to smooth white socks, and he has little jet black hooves to match his horns.

Both the male and the female wear Santa Claus beards and skinny spiked horns. The males often wander in small groups of two or three. The female bears one or two kids in April or May. Usually the family stays close together until the young ones are a few months old. The male protects them from swooping eagles and prowling pumas. And some observers report that he can cope with even a grizzly bear.


But, sad to say, neither courage nor lofty mountains could protect our splendid mountain goat from man the hunter. His white coat made him an easy target. What's more, his natural curiosity often tempted him to stand and stare at human visitors. Nowadays his numbers are reduced, and most of his kinfolk live in special regions reserved for their protection.

 

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