"The first time I saw a chamois, a mammal closely related to both goats and antelopes, was more than 40 years ago while I was hiking in Epirus, a mountainous region in western Greece. Chamois were rare then; the desire to learn about and protect them inspired me to become a biologist. Over the past 25 years, their population in my study area - the Northern Pindos National Park - has grown drastically,"
"Now, I can easily see dozens of Balkan chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) just a few hours from my village. In this picture, I'm counting them on the ledges of a cliff, one of their favourite habitats. We think that there are now around 1,000 individuals in the national park and nearby mountain ranges. Studying chamois requires the skills of a mountaineer and a scientist's precision. My colleagues and I have built a habitat suitability model, based on elevation, vegetation, slope and human activity,"
Balkan chamois numbers in Northern Pindos National Park and nearby ranges have increased drastically over the past 25 years, reaching about 1,000 individuals. Hiker presence in upper mountain areas created a human-shield effect that reduced poaching and supported population recovery. Chamois occupy cliff ledges and upper-mountain habitats where dozens can be observed near villages. Field study combines mountaineering and scientific methods. Researchers developed a habitat suitability model using elevation, vegetation, slope, and human activity to identify likely chamois areas. Surveys across northern and central Greece found small populations; work now targets wildlife corridors and threat identification.
Read at Nature
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