Gämsen

Description

Gämsen is an animal exhibit at Bayern-Park that has been part of the park since its earliest days as a wildlife park. The enclosure is home to chamois, a species native to the mountain ranges stretching from the Alps through the Carpathians to the Caucasus. In the wild, these animals inhabit steep rocky slopes, mountain forests, scree fields, and dwarf pine zones at elevations between 1,000 and 3,500 meters. Visitors can watch the chamois climb and play directly within their enclosure. The animals are capable of jumping up to 2 meters high and 6 meters across, a physical ability that reflects their natural adaptation to rugged terrain. In Bavaria, chamois can still be found in the wild in the Alps. Adult animals weigh between 25 and 40 kilograms and can live up to 20 years. Their summer coat is yellowish-brown with a distinctive dark stripe running along the spine, while the winter coat shifts toward black with a grey-brown insulating undercoat. Chamois are social animals, typically living in herds led by an older female. The rutting season runs from October to January, and after a gestation period of approximately 6 months, a female gives birth to usually one kid per year. Their diet consists of grasses, herbs, leaves, buds, shoots, and fungi.