I remember when I was a kid. Let´s say 5 – 6 years old. All I wanted to experience while hiking in the Tatras was to spot some wild animals. Especially chamoix and marmots. As we were in the mountains, we heard the whistling of the marmots quite often, so they had to be close to us, but I never saw one. Until these days.
In the past people used to poach a lot of chamoix and marmots. The chamoix because of the fur and the marmots because of their fat and also fur. People believed the cream made of marmot´s fat is healing.
Fortunately the animals in the Tatras are fortunately flourishing. To see a chamois or a marmot is not a problem as it was in the past. According to the latest census of chamoix, there are more than 1100 chamoix living in the Tatra Mountains. For such a small area it is a quite high number. That´s why I recommend you to look around carefully when you are walking on the hiking trails. Sometimes just make a short break and try to find the chamoix on the steep peaks around you. There is a high probability of success. Look at all my photos to prove that I´m telling you the truth. 🙂
Areas where you can see the chamoix, based on my experiences:
- the West Tatras – Otrhance; Hrubý vrch; Klin,
- the High Tatras – the Small Cold Valley; around the peak Veľká Svišťovka and Jahňaci štít and the Green lake.
You can hear the whistling of the marmots almost everywhere in the Tatra Mountains, but I was really close to them in the West Tatras at the peaks Hrubý vrch, Klin and in the Gáborova dolina/valley.
PS: I´m still waiting for a bear 😉
