White buffalo

Lewis and Clark had scarce chance to encounter mountain goats as these animals were living in high mountains within the northern Rockies, and frequently near glaciers.  There is one recorded sighting by Clark from a great distance, otherwise their knowledge of these rock goats came from Indians, and especially from a skin Lewis purchased while on the Columbia River.

In his travels across North America, Alexander McKenzie describes, in 1789, white buffalo inhabiting the McKenzie River region and restricted to the mountains of the Northwest.  McKenzie'a white buffalo were most likely mountain goats.  White, or albino bison do exist, although they are very rare individuals.

Lewis and Clark used the term mountain sheep for the mountain goat, referring to the bighorn sheep they saw as bighorn anamals, or just bighorns.  More confusing to the journal reader is their use of goat for the pronghorn.

For more information about this North American mammal, click here.