A pair of hunters driving on a logging road west of Okanagan Lake got closer than most people ever will to one of the Okanagan’s few mountain goats on Oct. 9.
Sean Kavanagh quickly began shooting a video clip as the goat trotted down a logging road towards the truck he and his father Patrick were sitting in. It turned broadside and appeared to study the vehicle for a moment, just a few paces from its front bumper, before running off.
The encounter with the goat was uncommon not only because of its calm appearance in the face of people but also because their population in the Okanagan region is very small. According to a provincial government conservation status report the Okanagan’s goat population is considered vulnerable because of its small number and its isolation from other populations to the east and the west.
Read More: Okanagan brothers’ documentary picked up by film festivals
Read More: Okanagan-raised artist normalizes being “other” in new film
Another B.C. government report puts the overall goat population in B.C. at approximately 50,000 animals. The goats are expert climbers most often associated with the province’s steep mountain ranges making the sighting of one in an area accessible by truck a rarity as well.
<a href="https://twitter.com/SalmonArm"="
mailto:jim.elliot@saobserver.net” target=”_blank”>jim.elliot@saobserver.netLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
