Watch a Baby Chamois Goat Race Against Time as a Devastating Avalanche Approaches

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Avalanches are one of the most dangerous elements of alpine living. With tons of snow plummeting down the mountainside, these natural disasters can reach speeds of up to 100 mph. Their force can devastate forests and even demolish buildings. It would seem wise to avoid avalanche-prone areas, yet many animals continually risk living in these environments, including those in this video. This incredible footage captures a young chamois as he races against the clock to catch up to his family and outrun the oncoming snow!

Where Do Chamois Live?

Chamois are unique alpine creatures, classified as “caprines” or a type of goat-antelope. They are relatively small animals, standing only about 28 to 31 inches tall and weighing between 55 and 132 pounds. Chamois roam the high mountain peaks of southern Europe in regions like the Alps and Pyrenees. They spend their summers grazing in alpine meadows, usually around 6,000 feet above sea level. When winter comes, they move to lower elevations and find shelter near cliffs, often around 3,630 feet above sea level.

In the summer, chamois sport short, reddish-brown coats, while in the winter they bundle up in thick, chocolate-brown wool. They also have distinctive facial markers with a white base and bold black stripes under their eyes, giving them an almost badger-like expression. Both male and female chamois grow slightly curved, vertical horns.

Male chamois usually live alone, while females and young chamois live in tight-knit groups of 15 to 30, like those featured in the video above. Females give birth around May and June, and their young reach their full size at about a year old. Living at high altitudes, chamois forage for all sorts of plants like leaves, grasses, buds, herbs, barks, shoots, tree needles, and even fungi. During the winter, they use the sharp edges of their hooves to scrape snow away and find food.

How Chamois Survive Harsh Alpine Winters

Steep alpine cliffs may not fit everyone’s idea of paradise, but they’re perfect for chamois. Chamois are well-adapted to these rugged habitats and move with surprising grace and agility. Their hooves have hardened edges that provide a strong grip on rocks and sharp cliffs. The soles are softer and almost rubbery, giving the animals extra traction on ice, snow, and other slippery surfaces. Their hooves are also split into two toes, which helps them to brake quickly when heading downhill.

Chamois are built to survive the freezing temperatures of Europe’s harsh mountain climates with thick and soft wooly coats. They also have thicker heart walls, which help keep a steady heart rate at 200 beats per minute with impressive blood flow and a higher concentration of red blood cells.

In addition, chamois herds are closely connected. Even if a female chamois perishes, the rest of the herd will help to raise her baby. When trekking across dangerous snows, the most experienced chamois typically acts as the scout, forging a path for the rest of the herd to follow. As seen in the video above, the chamois are careful and have impressive instincts. Only one animal climbs across the mountain at a time to better distribute their weight and avoid triggering an avalanche.

How Fast Can a Chamois Run?

The special physiological adaptions of the chamois allow them to run and jump with less effort, even amid the cold and challenging terrain of their native environments. If they feel threatened, chamois can quickly jump across rocky slopes and sprint to safety at speeds up to 30 mph. These agile animals can also leap more than 6 feet vertically and nearly 30 feet across, allowing them to hide in hard-to-reach areas.