A video has gone viral, which shows a mountain lion hunting a herd of mountain goats on the side of a mountain.
The video itself was originally shared on the Instagram page with the handle @wolftracker. In the days since its posting, online publications, such as Whiskey Riff have picked up the video and increased its viewership many times over.
In the video, the mountain lion is unsuccessful in its hunting efforts. The mountain goats survived by working their way to the very edge of the mountain. Being that mountain goats, who live primarily in the Rocky Mountains and Cascade Range, are masters of moving through rocky and steep terrain, they were comfortable in precarious positions. The mountain lion had hunted the herd well but was unable to close the final distance to the herd.
Making the scene all the more incredible is the snow that covers the mountainside. The mountain goats wear a thick, white coat of fur, which of course helps the critters blend in. Likewise, the fur coats keep the goats warm in the frigid temperatures. Interestingly, both male and female mountain goats have horns on their heads. Likewise, all goats have short tales and have beards that hang from their chins.
Mountain goats, as the name would suggest, are built for the mountain. They are not necessarily a widespread species. On the contrary, mountain lions live all over the place. From Canada, through the United States, and all the way to the Andes of South America, mountain lions persist. And how do mountain lions survive in such a wide array of places? Mountain lions are apex predators. They are skilled hunters and are able to sustain themselves in most environments.
Viral Video Shows A Herd Of Mountain Goats Being Hunted By Mountain Lion
The viral video footage was captured in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone itself is no stranger to awesome animal interactions. Notably, a famous one-eyed wolf was recently killed in the park, after a fight broke out with other wolves in the area. While tourists can at times treat Yellowstone like something it isn't, the bottom line is that wild animals do wild animal things all over the park.
