The 1st International Balkan Chamois Conference was successfully held in Konitsa, within the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark, from 25 to 27 June 2026, under the auspices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Caprinae Specialist Group. The event brought together more than 70 scientists, researchers and experts from protected areas, conservation organisations, and public authorities from across the Balkan Peninsula.
The Conference was organised by Pindos Perivallontiki, the Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory (BCL) of the Department of Biological Applications and Technologies at the University of Ioannina, the Balkan Chamois Society (“Agriogido sta Vouna”), and the Hellenic Mountain Observatory, within the framework of the project “CHAMOIS II: Enhancing Connectivity for the Balkan Chamois in Northwestern Greece”, in collaboration with the Municipality of Konitsa.
The Conference was organised by Pindos Perivallontiki, the Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory (BCL) of the Department of Biological Applications and Technologies at the University of Ioannina, the Balkan Chamois Society (“Agriogido sta Vouna”), and the Hellenic Mountain Observatory, within the framework of the project “CHAMOIS II: Enhancing Connectivity for the Balkan Chamois in Northwestern Greece”, in collaboration with the Municipality of Konitsa.
The Conference marked the first international forum dedicated exclusively to the conservation of the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica), one of the most emblematic species of the mountainous biodiversity of Southeastern Europe. Its primary objectives were to facilitate the exchange of scientific knowledge, strengthen transboundary cooperation, and promote the development of common strategies for the conservation of the species and its mountain ecosystems.
The Conference opened with welcoming remarks by the Mayor of Konitsa, Andreas Papaspyrou, who highlighted the significance of Konitsa—a town surrounded by mountain ranges hosting important chamois populations—as an ideal meeting point for the international scientific community working towards the conservation of mountain biodiversity.
This was followed by addresses from Professor Juan Herrero, Chair of the IUCN Caprinae Specialist Group, and Dr K. Koutsovoulou, representing the Hellenic Green Fund. Messages of support were also sent by George Amiras, Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Ioannina and former Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, and Stavros Kalogiannis, former Deputy Minister of the Environment, Planning and Public Works.
This was followed by addresses from Professor Juan Herrero, Chair of the IUCN Caprinae Specialist Group, and Dr K. Koutsovoulou, representing the Hellenic Green Fund. Messages of support were also sent by George Amiras, Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Ioannina and former Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, and Stavros Kalogiannis, former Deputy Minister of the Environment, Planning and Public Works.
The official opening of the Conference was conducted by Dr Charitakis Papaioannou, Chair of the Organising Committee. The keynote speaker was Professor Sandro Lovari, one of Europe’s leading pioneers in chamois research and conservation, renowned for his work in Abruzzo National Park in Italy and for his contributions to the study and conservation of mountain mammals across Europe and Asia. His keynote lecture, entitled “Present and Future Challenges for the Conservaon of Chamois”, set the scientific framework for the discussions that followed throughout the Conference.
The programme of the scientific sessions
The first day of the Conference was dedicated to presenting the current status of Balkan chamois populations throughout their distribution range. National overviews were delivered by experts from Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo and Montenegro. Participants exchanged experiences, compared scientific findings and discussed the prospects for a coordinated Balkan strategy for the conservation of the species.
The second day focused on recent scientific advances in genetic diversity, habitat connectivity, wilderness conservation, disease management, wildlife veterinary care and rehabilitation, as well as successful conservation initiatives implemented across the Balkans. Particular emphasis was placed on the relationship between people and nature and on the opportunities that chamois conservation creates for local development, environmental education and sustainable ecotourism.
As part of the programme, participants also experienced an interactive educational game developed by the Management Unit of the Protected Areas of Epirus of NECCA (Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency). The activity highlighted the challenges and threats currently facing the Balkan chamois, offering participants an engaging, hands-on perspective on the conservation of the species. Greetings were also conveyed on behalf of the Korça Alpine Club (Korca Alpin) from Albania. In addition, the initiative of Elassona Youth, who presented their work on the chamois habitat of Mount Olympus, received particularly positive recognition.
The third and final day concluded with a scientific field excursion to the eastern slopes of Mount Tymfi, within the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark. Participants explored the natural habitat of the Balkan chamois, received on-site information about the area’s ecological corridors, and had the opportunity to observe the species in its natural environment.
The participation of internationally renowned scientists from Italy and Spain further enhanced the scientific prestige of the Conference. Their presentations showcased the latest developments in European chamois research and conservation, reinforcing the truly international character of the event.
Main outcomes
Over the first two days, the Conference featured 28 scientific presentations delivered by leading experts on the Balkan chamois and its habitats. These presentations provided a comprehensive overview of the species’ status across the Balkans, including its distribution and the size of national populations. While some countries, such as Greece and Bulgaria, have recorded encouraging conservation progress, others reported stable or declining population trends.
Discussions highlighted the differences in how the species is managed across the region, ranging from strict legal protection to carefully regulated hunting systems. Participants also compared the existence—and implementation—of national conservation action plans, as well as the diverse protection regimes governing chamois habitats, including national parks, Natura 2000 sites, hunting areas, roadless areas and landscapes with no formal conservation status.
The Conference also presented recent findings on the genetic diversity of Balkan chamois populations and discussed concerns related to hybridisation resulting from human-mediated introductions. Particular attention was given to the diseases affecting chamois populations and their relationship with livestock, including examples of disease outbreaks that have caused severe population declines, such as those recorded in Spain.
Participants extensively discussed both longstanding and emerging threats to the species, including poaching, human disturbance, habitat loss, road construction through key habitats, wind farm development, and the isolation and fragmentation of populations. Throughout the discussions, the critical importance of preserving ecological corridors was repeatedly emphasised, as these natural connections are essential for maintaining genetic exchange and long-term population viability.
Additional presentations covered methods for the rehabilitation and release of injured chamois, the growing contribution of volunteer initiatives and citizen science, and the species’ increasing role in mountain hiking tourism and nature-based ecotourism. Finally, participants identified important knowledge gaps regarding the species across the Balkans and acknowledged that cross-border cooperation has so far remained insufficient to effectively address the challenges affecting shared chamois populations, particularly along Greece’s northern borders with Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Possible avenues for strengthening future regional collaboration were explored.
The Conference clearly demonstrated the need for closer cooperation among the Balkan countries to ensure the effective conservation of the Balkan chamois. It reaffirmed that scientific research, knowledge exchange and transboundary collaboration are the most powerful tools for safeguarding the natural heritage of the Balkan mountain ranges.
The successful completion of the 1st International Balkan Chamois Conference represents an important milestone and provides a strong foundation for continued international cooperation in safeguarding the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) and the unique mountain biodiversity of the Balkans.
Why was the 1st International Balkan Chamois Conference held at the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark?
The choice of Konitsa as the host location was far from coincidental. The wider area of the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark, together with the mountains of the Northern Pindos, constitutes the most important stronghold for the Balkan chamois in Greece. Today, 13 chamois populations, numbering approximately 800 individuals—nearly one third of the national population—inhabit the mountains of Tymfi, the Aoos and Vikos gorges, Trapezitsa, Smolika, Grammos, Voio, Nemertsika, and the surrounding mountain ranges of Northern Pindos.
The spectacular Vikos and Aoos gorges, towering limestone cliffs, deep ravines, alpine meadows and rocky peaks of the Northern Pindos are not only remarkable geological formations but also provide essential habitat for species of exceptional ecological importance.
The Balkan chamois is a species intrinsically linked to the geological character of mountain landscapes. It depends on steep slopes, rocky escarpments, inaccessible cliffs and open alpine grasslands that provide food, shelter and protection from predators and human disturbance. Its presence is therefore living evidence that a region’s geological history and geomorphology directly shape its biological richness.
As an indicator of the good ecological condition of mountain ecosystems, the Balkan chamois powerfully illustrates the need to protect both the geological and biological heritage of the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark and, more broadly, the mountain landscapes of the Northern Pindos.
Acknowledgements
The Organising Committee warmly thanks the Hellenic Green Fund for its financial support, the Municipality of Konitsa for hosting the Conference, all speakers, participants, volunteers and supporters, the institutional sponsors—the Vikos–Aoos UNESCO Global Geopark / Epirus S.A.—as well as the sponsors 5th Element and Arrena Natural Mineral Water, whose contribution was invaluable to the successful organisation of the event.
Special thanks are also extended to the Prespa Ohrid Nature Trust (PONT) and the A. G. Leventis Foundation, whose support through the CHAMOIS II project made both the Conference and a wide range of conservation actions for the Balkan chamois in northwestern Greece possible.
