The Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat is a species of hoofed mammal endemic to the mountain ranges of Western North America. They are a very sure-footed species that prefers higher elevations and steep, rocky slopes in the mountains to avoid predators such as wolves, cougars, grizzly bears, black bears, coyotes, wolverines, and golden eagles. However, when cornered by predators, mountain goats are known to be very aggressive, using their sharp horns to stab at their attackers. In one instance, a young grizzly bear was found dead with stab wounds in its chest and armpits after it tried to attack a mountain goat. The females, called nannies, are very defensive of their offspring, called kids. This aggression often can lead to them even attacking other nannies in their herd should they get too close to their young. Mountain goats will also attack humans, often chasing hikers along trails to defend their preferred feeding grounds.
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