YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Happy Friday! Here are some adorable fuzzies to get the weekend started.
Yellowstone National Park’s (YNP) resident photographer Jacob W. Frank has been busy chasing mountain goats high above the valley floor. He captured a few images of these fluffy white goats last week and posted them to YNP’s Flickr account on Thursday, July 17.
Photo: Jacob W. Frank // NPS
According to the National Park Service (NPS) website, mountain goats are not native to YNP. They were introduced to the Absaroka and Madison mountain ranges in the 1940s and 1950s. By the 1990s, mountain goats had established a population in YNP. There are currently between 200 and 300 mountain goats in and adjacent to the park.
Mountain goats typically reside in alpine and subalpine environments. According to NPS, they are exceptional climbers and can climb steep slopes of 60 degrees or more. Their muscular legs and cloven hooves allow the goats to grip the ledges and cliffs they inhabit.
Photo: Jacob W. Frank
A mature male mountain goat, or billy, can grow up to 300 pounds. A female, or nanny, weighs about 150 pounds. Young mountain goats, kids, are born from May to June. Both male and female goats have horns.
The range of mountain goats overlaps with that of bighorn sheep. Competition between the two species can negatively affect bighorn sheep, which have inhabited the area for thousands of years, according to Grand Teton National Park.
Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.