<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/gettyimages-142572921.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/gettyimages-142572921.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/gettyimages-142572921.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > 1 of 75 Goats climb a tree in Torino, Italy. (Ph Armj / Getty Images)

With their wooly fur and horns, mountain goats don't look like they would be the most graceful of creatures. But their cloven hooves help them to precarioulsy balance on centimeters-wide ledges, and their powerful legs can propel jumps of nearly 12 feet , according to National Geographic .

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Mountain goats' two-toed hooves are pliable, rubbery pads with a hard outer lining, that spread to improve balance and grip. Their muscular front legs aid in climbing, and their thick hair holds heat at high altitudes and repels water , according to the National Park Service website. And they are actually more closely related to antelopes, and can be found in western Canada, Alaska, Washington's Cascade Mountains and a few other mountainous areas of the northwestern U.S.

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But why do they climb so high? The obvious answer is so they could live life away from predators such as bears, cougars, wolves and golden eagles . They climb to find plants, grasses and alpine vegetation on which to graze . It's also been reported that goats are attracted to rocks and stones for their salts , and can be seen licking rocks and the sides of mountains.

Goats don't only climb mountains. In southwestern Morocco, goats have been known to climb trees for fruit , according to Slate.com. And they have other unexpected talents—recently, hundreds of goats were released in Ventura County, California to clear brush and help prevent forest fires. A few years ago, myotonic goats, goats who faint when feeling panic , took the internet by storm.

View the slideshow above for a look at these surefooted creatures.

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