Pyrenean Chamois Found Dead Ends a 104-Year World Trophy Record

A new world-record Pyrenean chamois trophy has displaced a benchmark that had stood for more than a century, after an exceptional specimen was found dead in the Atlantic Pyrenees.

The most unusual detail is that the animal was not taken during a hunt. According to the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, known as CIC, the chamois was found in the Massif de l’Estibette by Jérémy Bernay.

A 16-year-old chamois and a new CIC record

The animal, a Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica, was 16 years old at the time of its death. The CIC has reported that France’s national trophy commission officially certified the measurements eight days ago, giving the trophy a final score of 115.45 CIC points.

The score was reached from the following measurements: horn length, 44.25; height, 21.30; base circumference, 30.60; spread, 16.30; and age points, 3.00.

The previous record had belonged to a chamois taken in the Pyrenees in 1922, meaning the new trophy ends a 104-year reign.

Found caught in barbed wire

According to the CIC, Bernay found the animal dead after it had become caught in a barbed-wire fence. After noticing the exceptional quality of the trophy, he submitted it to the French commission for official certification.

The CIC highlighted the importance of the find beyond the record itself, stating: “A trophy of this calibre at such an advanced age offers valuable insight into the health and genetic vigour of the Pyrenean population, underlining the role of CIC trophy data in long-term wildlife monitoring.”

With 115.45 CIC points now officially recorded, the newly certified Pyrenean chamois sets a mark that will be difficult to surpass.

Source and images: Jean-Philippe Chavane de Dalmassy.