This sure-footed goat-antelope is found naturally in the Pyrenees, where
he spends his summers at high elevations. During the cooler months he
ventures down in to the lower pine forests. If danger threatens, he can
run up to 50 kph or leap 2 m vertically, 6m horizontally. Females and
their kids live in herds of up to 100 individuals, but when he attains
sexual maturity (around 3-4 years old) he will be forced out by the
dominant male. For the next few years he leads a solitary existence,
only come into contact with the herds of females during the rutting
season. Here he will compete with other males to secure a mate or
establish himself as head of the herd. Chamois have been successfully
introduced to New Zealand where they are a popular game animal and have
had a negative influence on the native flora.
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