Stanislao Basileo's Image

In June, Stanislao regularly visits the Gran Paradiso National Park in northwest Italy to photograph the alpine ibex, which come down from the peaks in summer to feed on the lower slopes.

While driving up to the mountains, he passed Lake Serrù and spotted something extraordinary. An ibex was climbing the face of the dam. Stopping, he quickly walked down to below the dam. The image he took illustrates what appears to be an incredible feat. Though the huge wall appears vertical, a side view would have revealed that the dam was not steep enough to deter an ibex, a wild goat with leg muscles and hooves designed for scaling the steepest of mountain gradients. The attraction for the ibex was the dam wall's salt-encrusted stones - effectively a giant man-made mineral lick.