Images of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), a species of goat-antelope native to mountainous areas from Western Europe to the Caucasus, and under strict protection in the European Union, have been captured in the Munzur mountain range in Turkey’s eastern province of Tunceli (Dersim).
The chamois, red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a threatened species, are incredibly difficult to photograph.
Akın Gedik, a mountain climber and nature photographer, managed to capture images of a herd from a distance of 2 kilometres while he was climbing in the Munzur mountains.
“One can meet mountain goats almost everywhere in this region, but not the chamois. It’s almost impossible to spot them,” Gedik said.
“I’ve been taking wildlife images in the region for years now, and as far as I know the natural habitats of the chamois are only the Munzur mountain range and the Hel valley in Pülümür (Pilemûriye). Last year the herds didn’t come down from the snowy heights because of the drought in the region. However, this year they did, as it snowed a lot and they need to graze. I camouflaged myself when I met the herd, took images, and then left the area in order not to disturb them.”
The chamois were previously spotted and videoed in the Munzur mountain range at the end of August 2020.
