What do you know about mooses? About their habits and attempts to domesticate them? Do you know why is it almost impossible? And finally wherefore did the people still raise these animals? All the answers can be found at unique moose farmm, which is situated not far from Sumarokovo village, 27 kilometers from Kostroma. The animals live in the forest, but every day come to the places of feeding, where you can look at them and even touch and feed them. Visiting this moose farm is one of Kostroma tour services, and the easiest way to get there is with excursion. It is also possible to come without excursion, but you will have to get on to administration.

First of all, the mooses are raised for milk, which is used for digestive tract diseases treatment. If you come between April and August, you can taste moose milk. By the way, this farm has nothing to do with beef stock farming: the mooses are clever enough to stay beef-producing farm. It is impossible to make a moose to stay in one place: Moreover, they aren't social animals they live most time range-fed and come to the farm independently and can live the farm at any time they like. This specific features in relationship of mooses and people. There are about 40 farm mooses living in the forest.

 Mooses live here almost like in the wild, and the visitors have such a possibility: to look at wild animals having special relationship with the farm: they come here because here they 100% get food and because all the moose calfs are hand-feed: they attach to the people, who fed them and don't afraid. But independent character and rather high intellect of mooses doesn't let even these hand-fed animals the domestic ones.

Attempts to domesticate mooses were undertakes at least two times: in Sweden and in the Soviet Russia. The first goal was to create riding animals, who can overcome deep snow and other forest obstacles, hard for horses. The moose troops created in Sweden existed till the first real battle: the mooses let to ride them, but leave the scene with the first signs of real danger. Animal instinct for self-preservation beats faithfullness and discipline. In the Soviet Union the mooses were trained, they even were broken for the shots. But in vain. After the World War 2 an idea appeared to use mooses for beef stock farming. Everything looked easy. The mooses eat brush wood, so the farms were created on the base of wood cutting areas. But the wood is being cut not all the year, and the mooses had their reasons to keep close to woodcut areas in winter only. But when the problem of food was solved in spring, they scattered. By the way: all the mooses of the farm have neckstraps with transmitter which makes it possible to monitor and find them.

 Mooses are believed to be easy-tame among the deers, but at the same time captive breeding of moores is very difficult: transportation of brushwood feeding-stuffs is very expensive. Moreover, the moores eat not everything from such foodstuff, because they don't eat wattles thicker than 10 mm. Pelleted forage also exists, but the animals, if they eat this, cannot eat anything more.

Animals in the zoo are separated from the people with fence, glass or other enclosure for for the sake of safety of both. There are fences at moosefarm as well, but they are more something for framing. Mooses can jump over and break all the fences and stay at the farm as long as they want. The reasonable question is security at the farm. There are some rules if you have decided to pat or to feed a moose: don't run, don't scream and don't try to pick up fallen piece cooky off the floor. All in all you should behave with mooses like with horses. The main rule is to be calm. Anyway, guided groups are told about character of mooses and and get some instructions. The independent visitors who comes without guided groups are asked to be especially careful: if you don't know moose's habits you can provoke aggression. Your trauma can cause fatal consequences for the animals.

Address of Kostroma moose farm is: 157931, Kostroma Region, Krasnoselsky district, Gridino, Sumarokovo settlememoose farm.arm. Information about guided tours is to be found here , maps for individual travelers - here


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