There are a couple of reasons, then, but they generally have the instinct to climb and live high up in the mountains as it offers protection against all kinds of danger.
But there is also a lot of food up there that many other grazing animals have no access to.
Let’s look further into this.
Why do goats climb steep cliffs?
There are many reasons why goats like to climb seemingly vertical cliffs.
Often, the cliff itself actually holds the answer.
Goats like to lick salt and mineral deposits in rocks.
These deposits are often found at high points of cliff walls, and goats can smell them.
They climb these steep cliffs so they can get at the mineral deposits.
The image of goats perched on the sides of apparently completely smooth cliffs is what has inspired a lot of this curiosity.
So, that is why they actually climb the steep cliffs and appear to just stand there.
But there are, of course, broader reasons goats climb mountains and cliffs.
As I mentioned, one of the biggest advantages of dwelling in places like this is the lack of predators.
Predators do, of course, live high in mountains in some cases—such as mountain lions, for instance.
But these lions do tend to live more frequently in the valleys, and goats are ultimately safer from them the higher up they go.
The other reason is that there’s a lot of available forage on mountains that isn’t available to animals that can’t make the climb.
Grasses, tubers, roots, foliage of any kind—plenty of it grows on the mountain cliffs, and goats can make good use of it.
Competing for food is one of the biggest issues an animal species can face—goats have come up with a rather ingenious solution.
Why do goats like to climb on everything?
There are probably no mountains or cliffs on your homestead, just as there is also no reason to need to hide from predators.
So, why do goats still apparently love to climb on everything?
Well, the short answer is that it’s fun!
Goats like to play like any other animal does, and they have a natural ability to jump and climb.
At least, some species do, and kids certainly do.
Jumping and climbing expends energy and is a good way to socialize with other goats.
Natural curiosity is also a factor.
They might wonder what’s on top of the thing they’re trying to climb, again reflecting that the natural impulse to climb mountains is about finding new sources of food.
But goats are not exactly the most graceful creatures.
So, how are they able to climb with such nimble dexterity?
How are goats able to climb so well?
There are a few factors in their physical traits that allow them to climb apparently vertical cliff faces.
For one thing, though we might think of goats as being rather bulky and large, they’re actually quite slender when viewed head on.
This means they can maintain their balance really well, which is vital for perching on mountains and cliff faces.
They’re also remarkably light on their feet, and can leap and step around with apparent ease.
This makes it easier to move between footholds.
Their muscular shoulders allow them to pull themselves up with ease.
The shoulders and neck are very powerful together, and the goat can essentially advance with its headfirst.
One of the most important things, though, is their hooves.
Their hooves have an incredibly tough outer casing.
With this, they can dig their hooves into apparently invisible ledges in a way that would be painful for soft-footed animals like ourselves.
Ultimately, then, the simple answer is that it is a clear and distinct evolutionary advantage, and goats have been successful enough to spread this ability to an entire species.
Can all goats climb mountains?
Some are certainly better at it than others.
Mountain goats and domestic goats are, in fact, distinct genus, and not the same.
Mountain goats are the ones who are famous for climbing vertical cliffs, but domestic goats are pretty good climbers, too.
Many breeds have been bred for their bulk, though, so that they produce more meat.
Boer goats, for instance, might have considerable trouble navigating a vertical cliff.
But all goats have the fundamental ability to climb, using their hard hooves, their strong neck and shoulders, and their excellent balance.
Goats gain a number of advantages by climbing mountains, then.
As pretty much the only creatures of their kind that can and do climb sheer cliffs in this way, they have essentially cornered the available nutrition in the lower parts of mountain ranges.
No one else can get to it, so it’s all for them.
While doing this, they also avoid predators that live on the ground.