• Conservation biologist Imogene Cancellare posted a video on Twitter of blue sheep walking down a cliff at what looks like an impossibly steep angle.
  • People are convinced it’s an optical illusion with the camera turned sideways.
  • In fact, blue sheep are perfectly capable of scaling cliffs and often use their skills to escape predators.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … a sheep?

A video of gravity-defying blue sheep scaling a cliff in China’s Valley of the Cats has the internet convinced it’s a camera trick. But the species, also known as bharal, actually do put superheroes to shame with their skills.

Conservation biologist Imogene Cancellare posted the video on Twitter, showing a group of blue sheep walking down a cliff at what looks like an impossibly steep angle.

The video went viral as people were convinced that it was an optical illusion with the camera turned sideways.

https://twitter.com/bpu77/status/1171651705576075266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/GinjahBird/status/1171685296842264576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/theoldshopreno/status/1171705859073880064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In fact, blue sheep are perfectly capable of descending steep angles and often use their climbing skills to escape predators such as snow leopards, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

The sheep, also known as bharal, are native to the Tibetan Plateau. They eat grass, herbs, and moss, and have short, stocky legs that are perfect for navigating rocky terrain.

Several blue sheep experts did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.