This “record everything through my phone” epidemic is getting ridiculous.
Have you ever noticed that? Nowadays, if anything happens, it’s a virtual guarantee that at least one person is recording the whole thing on their phone. It’s a blessing and a curse. The only place it seemingly doesn’t happen is at concerts or shows that bag up people’s phones, or at this past weekend’s Masters tournament (the golf course has a strict no phone policy, and it’s beautiful).
One other situation where phones should probably be put away is when you are dangerously close to wild animals. Unless you are trying to record a video that will act as your living will, it’s usually best to keep an eye on the unpredictable creature. These people that got way too close to a mountain goat on top of a mountain evidently didn’t get that memo.
When you run into an intimidating mountain goat on what could be called their “home turf,” that can usually be the perfect equation for some trouble. And before I get too far into this story, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the non-creative naming of the animal. Someone way back in the day said, “Hey, check out that goat on that mountain,” and it was as simple as that. No confusion, no fancy name, and no nonsense. We all collectively have just decided to call a mountain goat what it is.
The only funny thing is… mountain goats actually aren’t goats at all. They’re actually more closely related to gazelles, and belong to the antelope family. Their genus (which solely belong to them) is Oreamnos, which is a combination of the Greek words óros, which translates to “mountain,” and amnós which is “lamb.” So maybe we should be calling them mountain antelopes?
Regardless of whether their name is a hit or a miss, mountain goats live in some of the harshest climates and conditions on Earth, which tend to lie atop the rocky peaks of the world. These creatures live where there is limited food and water supplies, the weather is as cold, snowy and windy as it gets, and oxygen levels are naturally lower in mountain climates. And you know what? Mountain goats don’t care one bit about any of that.
They live at elevations up to 13,000 feet, and areas that high up are naturally going to be dangerous to traverse. Any other animal might be bothered with having to navigate cliffs and other steep terrains, but mountain goats are legitimately built for it. They have unique, split hooves that are equipped with soft padding that allows for them to gain footing in situations that would seem nearly impossible. Plus, they’re absolutely RIPPED.
Exhibit A:
The GOAT.
This massive mountain goat was spotted in Montana, U.S. pic.twitter.com/aicjtqyyjz
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) April 13, 2025
Just to be clear – in case the name isn’t descriptive enough – there’s not an animal better suited for mountain living than the mountain goat.
So when us humans go on a hike and run into one, we’re without a doubt at a disadvantage. When mountain goats feel threatened, they can be incredibly dangerous and have been known to be aggressive around humans. Add a steep cliff to the mix and you’ve got yourself an accident waiting to happen. Throw an off-leash pet dog in on top of all of that and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster.
Hikers were walking along a rocky trail when a sizable mountain goat wandered right up, seemingly entranced by the German shepherd that was with the group. For some reason, the dog owner never leashed his dog… even though he had the leash clearly visible in his hands. So when the mountain goat got up close and personal with the dog, it was separated from its owner and forced to fend for itself.
Fortunately, the German shepherd was smart enough to back down and not retaliate. It attempted to put as much room between itself and the mountain goat as possible. The people walking along the trail could take some notes from the dog’s actions, but most of them were too busy filming the interaction on his phone rather than trying to give the mountain goat some breathing room.
Take a look:
Sheesh.
They all got lucky that the mountain goat wasn’t ready to go all out that day. There’s at least 3 cameras out, not including the one taking the video we’re actually watching… just unreal. I guess they’d all rather capture the problem than be part of the solution.
Let this be a lesson to keep the phones in your pocket when faced with potential danger, and keep your dog on a leash… no matter how good of a boy he is.
