Canadian Rockies Mountain Goats & Bighorn Sheep

As we got closer to Jasper, we again saw a bunch of cars on the side of the road.  This time it would be a new experience, a family of Mountain Goats.

It was springtime in the Rockies, and the newborn animals were making their first forays into the wilderness.  These Mountain Goats seemed to be very much at ease with their human visitors, meandering within a few feet as they grazed on the meadow grasses.

The Mountain Goats can easily be distinguished from Bighorn Sheep.  The Mountain Goats are in the top pictures and have a white coat and pointed horns.  Bighorn Sheep have the curly horns.  In the spring, they are in the process of shedding their winter coats.  We noticed several times that Bighorn Sheep seemed to be licking the stones in parking areas.  We later found out that they are licking mineral deposits off the stones, most likely, salt.

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