Mountain goats may look like cuddly creatures, but that doesn't mean they want to be your friend.
A Colorado-based company, Good Bull Outdoors, recently shared to their Instagram account (@goodbulloutdoors) a video of a tourist getting harshly rebuffed after getting too close to a couple of goats.
In the footage, a tourist is seen finishing up taking photos, unaware that their presence could upset the animals. One small goat is about eight feet away, minding its own business.
Suddenly a larger goat with menacing horns encroaches on the other goat to encourage it to get the human to back off. The visitor gets the message belatedly and moves back several feet while they can be heard saying "let's go this way." Luckily for them, the duo of goats stop short of an attack and back off after the charge.
The caption of the post sums up the obliviousness of the tourist by declaring "this is what a lack of common sense and situational awareness looks like."
Probably because of goats' appearance and frequently docile nature, tourists are often unafraid to get right into their space and approach them. There seems to be little trepidation around their ability to inflict damage.
Mountain goats' horns, however, are no joke, and confrontations with them can prove deadly.
Our presence alone can bother the animals, which is clearly the case in the video. Getting too close also poses a risk to the animals, who could be euthanized if they either become reliant on human interactions or outwardly aggressive in them.
That's why it's best to keep a respectful distance and let the animals do their own thing, instead of disturbing them for a picture.
As the U.S. Forest Service shared in an Instagram post, visitors should "never surround, crowd, chase, or follow a mountain goat." Showing proper reverence for wildlife is part of a responsible vacation.
Commenters on Instagram were frustrated by the tourist's behavior.
"Quit harassing the goats!" one demanded.
Another poster said "goats are not to be underestimated," while highlighting the risk of a horn puncturing an artery or organ.
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