A pair of hikers spotted a rare animal July 27 while hiking on Mount Hood in Oregon, KOIN 6 News reported.
Hikers experienced a rare and thrilling encounter with a Rocky Mountain goat on Mount Hood. Oregon resident Jackson Smith shared with KOIN 6 News that he and a friend were backpacking on the Yocum Ridge Trail around 5 p.m. when they spotted the elusive goat making its way down a cliffside.
VIDEO: Rare Rocky Mountain goat sighting on Mount Hood #Mountain #Animalhttps://t.co/xYVXMJXUxm
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“I heard some rock fall along the ridge to our north and looked up to see this Rocky Mountain Goat about 30 to 50 yards away from us,” Smith told KOIN 6 News. “We were both completely shocked, but stayed still and silent as the goat began its descent down the ridge towards the Sandy River below.” (RELATED: REPORT: Police Find 200 Goats Dead On Farm)
Rocky Mountain goats, typically found from Southeastern Alaska to the Washington side of the Columbia River, are a rare sight on Mount Hood, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Raven Reese, a spokesperson for the Mount Hood National Forest, mentioned that while there are occasional reports of these goats on Mount Hood, such sightings are seldom confirmed. “We don’t have an established population and are not working to reintroduce them,” Reese said. “Any goats seen are likely dispersed or vagrants from established populations elsewhere.”
Historically, mountain goat populations were decimated by overhunting by European immigrants in the 1800s. Efforts to reintroduce them began in the 1900s across their native range in Alaska, Alberta, Idaho, Montana and Washington, according to KOIN 6 News. Additionally, they were introduced to new areas in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.
