Where does the chamois live?
The chamois lives in mountainous parts of Europe and Western Asia, from the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains to the Alps, the Apennines, the Carpathians, the Balkans and the Caucasus, including the north-eastern mountains of Turkey. It inhabits rocky areas, forests and mountain pastures. It has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand. In 2021, there were about 543,370 chamois alive.
What does the chamois eat?
The chamois eats various types of vegetation: highland grasses and herbs in summer, and conifers, bark and needles from trees in winter. It is a very small bovid, with short, straightish horns hooked backwards near the tip. It is recognisable by the white marks on the sides of its head, with pronounced black stripes below the eyes, a white rump and a black stripe along its back.
Is the chamois endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. Some subspecies are, however, strictly protected in the EU under the Habitats Directive. Males weigh 30 to 60 kg, slightly more than females, which weigh 25 to 45 kg.
