EURASIAN CHAMOIS

Rupicapra rupicapra

Originally a gift from the Emperor  Franz Josef of Austria in 1908.  Two liberations of chamois took place, both near Mount Cook – one in 1907 and the other in 1913.  Chamois have dispersed quicker than any other animal to be found in New Zealand.  Found only in the South Island, they are located from behind Nelson in the north right through to Fiordland in the south, and inhabit most of the large valleys and tributaries east and west of the Southern Alps.  Like the Tahr, Chamois can be hunted all year round but the prime time is between May and June when the bucks are with the does.  Chamois in the Southern Alps of the South Island are the only free ranging population outside of Europe and the Middle East.

Photo caption: Grant Crowe