Tatra Chamois
December 20, 2017
Photographer: Vlado Hurta
Summary Author: Vlado Hurta
Shown above is a herd of Tatra chamois grazing in an alpine meadow in the Tatra Mountains (Red Hills) of the Western Carpathian Range, Slovakia. The endemic chamois was first recognized as an autonomous subspecies in 1971. Only around 200 individuals remained after World War II. Because of poaching during the war and throughout the first half of the 20th century, the chamois was considered a high risk of extinction. However, since 1949 when the Tatra National Park was established, the chamois has been strictly protected and thus their numbers are slowly rising. Currently, approximately 1,200 chamois can be found in the Tatra's high meadows. For every hiker fortunate enough to spot them, they're a haunting spectacle in this beautiful land. Photo taken on September 20, 2017.
Photo Details: Camera Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL; Exposure Time 0.0050s (1/200); Aperture ƒ/8.0; ISO equivalent 100; Focal Length 55.0mm; Lens EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6; Software Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 7.0 (Windows)