Mountain Goats on Goat Lick, Glacier National Park, Montana

A family of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) climbs the steep rugged wall known as Goat Lick in Glacier National Park, Montana. The mountain goats travel for miles to lick the mineral-laden cliffs during the spring and early summer. The cliffs are full of calcium, potassium and magnesium and smaller amounts of sodium and phosphorous. Scientists believe the goats may lick the cliffs to replace minerals they lose from their bones over the long winter. The minerals may also serve as a digestive aid. It's also possible the goats have simply developed a taste for salt.

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A family of mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) climbs the steep rugged wall known as Goat Lick in Glacier National Park, Montana. The mountain goats travel for miles to lick the mineral-laden cliffs during the spring and early summer. The cliffs are full of calcium, potassium and magnesium and smaller amounts of sodium and phosphorous. Scientists believe the goats may lick the cliffs to replace minerals they lose from their bones over the long winter. The minerals may also serve as a digestive aid. It's also possible the goats have simply developed a taste for salt.