Counting sessions
As every year, also in the summer and autumn months of 2025, the staff of the Scientific Service, Park Rangers, Park Carabinieri and Civil Service volunteers have completed the numerical monitoring of the Apennine chamois population in Abruzzo, Lazio, and Molise National ParkThe Apennine chamois is an endemic species of the Central Apennines, a unique animal that was at risk of extinction in the last century. The Park conducts annual population monitoring activities through counting sessions to determine the minimum number of individuals and calculate the population's vital signs. The sessions are conducted separately in the chamois's historic range and in the Monte Marsicano area, an area of more recent expansion. The counting was carried out over eight days, divided into two sessions: summer and autumn, in the different sectors of the Park where these splendid animals are present.
The numbers in detail
A total of 703 chamois were counted and 195 calves were born in 2025. The data was then processed by the Park's Scientific Service staff. The overall population trend appears stable and slightly positive. The trend curve in the Marsican area continues to show a statistically significant positive trend, while the historical population does not show any appreciable trend, as different dynamics exist within it. The survival rate of kids born last year (recruitment) is 49% in the historical range—in line with literature—and 70% in the Marsican range, a much higher value than in 2024. Over the last ten years, the recruitment rate in the Marsican area has averaged 77% (±17%), with peaks approaching 90%: an extremely high value, even higher than what is generally reported in literature for the species.
The highest values ever recorded
In the historical range, the birth rate (31%) and the reproductive index (73%) represent the highest values recorded in this area in the last 10 years. The current reproductive index would appear to indicate a partial rebalancing of the demographic structure, with a possible increase in the proportion of individuals in reproductively more efficient age groups. This trend, however, will need to be confirmed through further monitoring and long-term analyses. Looking at the details of individual areas, population growth has been observed in the Rocca Altiera, Gravare, and Mainarde sectors over the last decade. In the Meta Tartari, Monte Amaro/Val di Rose, and Monte Petroso sectors, however, the negative trend observed in recent years is confirmed.
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