There are 841 chamois (mountain goats) in the Tatras, according to this autumn’s count of the rare animals, carried out on the Polish and Slovak side of the mountains. At the time of the census, 142 chamois were on the Polish side and 699 on the Slovakian.
The area of the national park on the Slovak side is five times that of the Polish Tatra National Park. The Tatra chamois mostly inhabit the area under the mountain ridge, which is the formal border between the two countries, crossing over at will.
This year the chamois have been particularly prolific, with 74 newcomers in the herd. Since winter is the most difficult time for the Tatra goats, many which fall prey to predators or even die in avalanches, another census is to be held in the spring.
Tatra mountain chamois have been counted since 1954 and since 1957 in collaboration with Slovak services. In the year 2000 the population of the animals dropped to a dramatic low, with only 69 chamois counted. Since then the goats have been springing back. Tatra chamois are a protected species.
(ek)