Pictures show goats dicing with death as they scale the side of a 160-foot (49 metre) wall - just to satisfy their taste buds.
The fearless creatures appear to defy gravity with the incredible feat and were even seen tussling for better positions at the Cingino Dam in northern Italy.
The Alpine ibex goats, which typically live in very steep and rocky terrain at altitudes of up to 4,600 metres, lick saltpetre and other minerals off the walls.
The pictures of the dam high in the Pennine Alps was captured by retired bank worker Federica Grassi, 63, from Cannobio, Italy.
She said: 'There were between 15 and 25 goats climbing on the dam at the same time while others were resting at the foot of the dam.
'The dam is about 50 metres high and according to locals, the gradient is close to 90 degrees - almost vertical.
'The goats can climb like this thanks to their rubbery hooves and large inner ears that help them balance.
'They come because they need the saltpetre and other mineral salts that they lick off the stones.'
She added: 'It was amazing to see them just a few metres below me defying gravity and also seeing some of them fighting for the best spots with their horns.
'At first what I was seeing seemed impossible to me but on my way back to my car I met the keeper of the mountain hut nearby and he told me that he sees them every day.
'He even told me the goats were "addicted" to these particular mineral salts because there are other dams on the Alps but he only saw the mountain goats climb on this one.
The fearless creatures appear to defy gravity with the incredible feat and were even seen tussling for better positions at the Cingino Dam in northern Italy.
The Alpine ibex goats, which typically live in very steep and rocky terrain at altitudes of up to 4,600 metres, lick saltpetre and other minerals off the walls.
The pictures of the dam high in the Pennine Alps was captured by retired bank worker Federica Grassi, 63, from Cannobio, Italy.
She said: 'There were between 15 and 25 goats climbing on the dam at the same time while others were resting at the foot of the dam.
'The dam is about 50 metres high and according to locals, the gradient is close to 90 degrees - almost vertical.
'The goats can climb like this thanks to their rubbery hooves and large inner ears that help them balance.
'They come because they need the saltpetre and other mineral salts that they lick off the stones.'
She added: 'It was amazing to see them just a few metres below me defying gravity and also seeing some of them fighting for the best spots with their horns.
'At first what I was seeing seemed impossible to me but on my way back to my car I met the keeper of the mountain hut nearby and he told me that he sees them every day.
'He even told me the goats were "addicted" to these particular mineral salts because there are other dams on the Alps but he only saw the mountain goats climb on this one.
Music: "Spirit of the Girl" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Source: Daily Mail
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