Goats climb near vertical dam wall

A herd of plucky goats has defied gravity, climbing a 50m-high dam wall in the Italian Alps.

But they aren't doing it for fun — the Alpine Ibex goats are understood to be grazing, licking the stones for their salt and minerals.

The creatures apparently have no fear of falling — they live in altitudes up to 4600m to escape predators.

The images have captured the imagination of bloggers and media outlets around the globe, who have dubbed the herd "Spider Goats".