Northern Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) lives in mountainous terrain across European Alps. It feeds on grass and leaves. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Northern Chamois
- Chamois rely on exceptional speed and leaping power to evade predators on the steep rock they call home. They can run at 50 km/h and launch themselves 2 m straight up or clear a 6 m gap, giving them a decisive edge when chased. Their ability to sprint and jump across sheer terrain helps them survive encounters with wolves, lynxes and other hunters that threaten them in the wild.
- The chamois makes its home on sheer, rugged cliffs that rise to at least 3,600 m above sea level, favouring the most inaccessible rock faces. In the European Alps it spends the warm months grazing in alpine meadows above the tree line, taking advantage of abundant summer grasses. When winter arrives it descends to around 800 m, seeking shelter and food in pine-dominated forests below the snow line.
- In 1907 the Austrian emperor sent Alpine chamois to New Zealand as a diplomatic gift, swapping the goats for ferns, rare birds and lizards. The animals landed in Wellington on 23 January aboard the SS Turakina before being transferred to the Manaroa, then to Lyttelton, and onward by rail to Fairlie. From there they endured a four-day horse trek to Mount Cook, where the first releases established the New Zealand population.
- New Zealand chamois tend to weigh about 20% less than European individuals of the same age, suggesting that food supplies may be limited. They were introduced to New Zealand in 1907 when two bucks and six does were shipped as a diplomatic gift from the Austrian emperor.
- If a mother is killed, other females in the herd may try to raise the young. Female chamois and their offspring typically form herds of fifteen to thirty individuals.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEuropean Alps
HabitatMountainous terrain
DietGrass and leaves
About the Northern Chamois
In the rugged, snow-capped mountains, the Northern Chamois reigns supreme, its agile form effortlessly navigating the treacherous terrain with a surefootedness that belies its gentle eyes. With each step, its nimble legs seem to dance across the rocky outcrops, as if defying gravity itself, while its thick, warm coat glistens like silk in the pale alpine light. As it moves, its very presence seems to embody the unyielding spirit of the mountain wilderness, a true marvel of adaptation and resilience.
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