See moose near the biostation. Moose biological station. Ecological centers and excursions

Everyone knows that there are moose on Elk Island .. but it is not so easy to see them in the wild. Someone met an elk in the park, someone in Sokolniki, someone on the road .. But this is a rarity.
I'll tell you where there is a large concentration of moose!

We have just returned from an excursion to the Elk Biological Station.

That's where you can meet moose, deer and even wild boars.

You can get there by the Yaroslavl highway or the Moscow Ring Road, located near the city)
From the Alekseevskaya metro station we took a taxi in 15-20 minutes. The station itself is located in the forest. those. you also have to go by car along the forest itself for 7-10 minutes, or walk (I think about 30 minutes). Entrance from the side of Kropotkinsky lane of the city of Mytishchi.

Exactly at 11:00 and 13:00 at the Moose Biological Station you will be met by a pleasant young man who knows everything and even more about moose... And leads you to the territory. Tours must be booked in advance. The first time we visited was on a weekday. There were only 5 of us..
(I advise you to go on weekdays, because on the weekend there will be not only a couple of moose, but also about 30 people trying to feed the beast from all sides)

First we fed the calf Boniface:
They let him right into the aviary!

He is 7 months old, but he is already such an elk!!

True, the legs are so fragile and give way))

Boniface loves carrots. They give it right there, in front of the aviary) and you can safely feed the animal!)
You can bring your own carrots, but they will give you the right proportion of food there) Carrots are cut into strips)

Then we were taken to the moose cow Dina) she was released several times into the wild, but she always returned back to the people at this biological station.
Dina can also be fed with carrots, bread and cabbage.

Another discovery: Moose don't bite! They don't have upper front teeth and maximum Dean can lick your hand with his velvet tongue))

In total, about 70-80 moose live on the territory of Losiny Island. They eat bark!

They also like to feast on salt and lick such a piece of natural salt)

Deer and moose can recognize a human voice in the forest at a distance of 800 meters! And wild boars at a distance of 400 meters! They are all afraid and try not to approach people.

A selfie with a moose is sacred!!

The most beautiful thing is the deer!!!
They come to the biological station only in winter, from December)

It's just breathtaking when you enter the territory.. and they stand and look at you.. graceful.. with horns... some approach you timidly...
They are not behind the fence.. they are right here, at arm's length...! Delight!

Deer are shy people! They don’t eat from their hands, but they pour food on them and they don’t stand far away) While everyone is eating, one of them always looks around, guarding the territory.

More deer whistling! They really whistle like people. If you hear a whistle in the forest, it doesn't have to be a forester!

Although they are shy, they are not very affectionate with each other. Chief - leader - the one with the biggest horns)
Might as well gore!

But, in general - very cute animals!
Here is Bambi the deer!

All in all, it's worth seeing!!

Be sure to register in advance on an excursion, you can’t get there without it) The cost is 300-450 rubles.
You can sign up by phone: +7 965-230-60-31

HOW TO GET TO:

By car, you need to go to Kropotkinsky Lane (Mytishchi), then - to the left along the forest.

On your own:
from m. VDNH: any regular bus going to the area. Go to the 1st stop after MKAD (~ 1 km from MKAD - before turning to Druzhba village). Then walk for about 40 minutes along the main road through the village (~ 3-4 km) until the road ends in the forest. Then turn left (visible checkpoint with a barrier). Further all the time straight ahead (at the fork you need to keep to the left) - we get straight to the gates of the biostation.
Travel and parking of personal vehicles - 250 rubles.

From the railway station "Los": bus number 547 (rarely runs - you need to know the schedule), or from the railway station "Perlovskaya": bus or minibus number 3 to the final stop (near the forest), then - checkpoint and all the time straight.

For centuries, the north-east of Moscow has been surrounded by a huge forest - Losiny Ostrov, and if in other areas such green areas are gradually being cut down and built up with high-rise buildings, then the status of a reserve and a national park still protects this territory from outside interference. Even during the difficult war years, they continued to plant forests here and take care of the local inhabitants. All this made it possible to preserve a huge number of representatives of the flora and fauna of the middle zone of the Moscow region. Residents of megacities sometimes need to escape to nature, and if you manage to see some wild animal, it will be a real delight. So we, when we heard that you can admire real elks and deer in their natural habitat very close by, we definitely got excited to go to the Moose Nursery.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

A phone number was found on the website of the national park, as excursions on weekends are organized for individual visitors strictly by appointment. You must arrive either by 11:00 or 13:00. The cost of the tour is 424 rubles. Elk Biological Station is located near the Jaeger section of the national park. There are a lot of people who want to communicate with animals, so it is better to sign up in advance. When we arrived at the appointed time, the entire parking lot in front of the biostation gate was packed with cars, we could hardly find a free space. A whole crowd stood at the gate, mostly everyone was with children of all ages. When we were let into the territory of the biological station, we found ourselves at the very end of this huge procession, so when we approached the first pet, the little calf Boniface, it was impossible to get close to him.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

For the time being, I decided to take a picture of an adult moose cow, at least from afar, who was in a neighboring fenced compartment.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

All around winter beauty.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

Despite the fact that we bought carrots in advance to feed the animals (and not only we did), basically everyone had them whole. It can only be fed to an adult animal, and a calf eats only chopped vegetables.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

They were given to us by an employee of the biostation. It took quite a long time to wait for the baby to be more or less free. The children clung to the calf and did not want to let it go. It was so funny to see how one boy closed his eyes with pleasure and repeated how cool this moose was. At this time, the guide told us about this pet and the behavior of moose in the wild. Since I did not come right away, I could not hear the whole story. It turned out that this calf was about nine months old, they found it somewhere either in Tver or in the Yaroslavl region, it had strayed from its mother and walked alone. Such a baby in the forest was threatened with imminent death, so he was taken to a nursery.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

We learned a lot of interesting things about the life of these animals. It turns out that in captivity they can live for almost 20 years, while in the natural environment about 12. Another unusual fact: the older the moose cow, the more likely it is that she will have two cubs. We also learned with curiosity that in late summer - early September, moose have a mating season, at which time they are very aggressive. Moose perceive anyone shorter than them as a creature that they can easily handle, so there is a possibility of an attack on a person. In this case, you need to raise your hand, preferably with some object that visually increases your height, and shout loudly. And in no case should you turn your back on him and run. It's better to hide behind a tree. Finally, most of the people left to feed the adult elk, and we were able to pet the calf. I even felt sorry for him, he ran so frightened around his aviary.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

Then we went to an adult animal.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

While we were standing at the fence with the elk, we saw how a whole herd of deer ran out of the forest opposite.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

Whoever stood nearby was very lucky to see them very close. The next cute biostation pets are hogs.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

Smaller and lighter - a girl, and darker and larger - a boy. The female was very active: she ran, scratched her back, and jumped.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

And the male only ate all the time. I managed to hear out of the corner of my ear that in a hungry year a wild boar can devour its offspring, but this will allow it to survive and give birth to new cubs the next year. We spent a very long time at the wild boars, all the people had already gone somewhere. We thought that this was actually the end of the tour, but we heard a noise behind the fence. They walked towards the voices and gasped: everyone was standing in a group around a whole herd of spotted deer.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

Moreover, these animals were not behind the fence like the previous ones.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

Among them were several males with beautiful branched horns.

Kennel Losiny Ostrov

So I did not want to leave these amazing animals. Despite the fact that the site stated that the tour lasts 45 minutes, we spent almost two hours at the biostation. So if someone wants to get an unforgettable experience of communicating with wild animals, and the zoos have already been explored, it's time to go to Losiny Ostrov.

There is a national park in Moscow, which is located on Losiny Island. It is from him that the green massif was named. The first mention of the park dates back to 1406. The green massif, located in the north-east of the capital, was a favorite area for royal falconry and hunting. Since then "Elk Island" (park) has not lost its attractiveness. But now the territory is used for other purposes.

History of the park

The Elk Island National Park begins its history in the 15th century, but acquired its status later. For the first time, the green massif was mentioned in written sources during the period when Moscow became the center of northeastern Rus'. At that time, the island belonged to the Taininskaya volost, located along today's Yaroslavl highway. Ivan the Terrible was very fond of hunting in the park.

Later, a royal hunting economy arose on the island. The park began to be called the "Sovereign's hunting path" and acquired the status of a reserve. As before, hunting was organized on this territory, often with foreign ambassadors. The name "Elk Island" appeared only in 1710. In the 18th century. it began to belong to the state department, and hunting on the territory was forbidden to everyone without exception.

With the advent of St. Petersburg, attention to the park decreased significantly, and it began to overgrow with thicket, trees were mercilessly cut down by peasants for their own needs. In 1804 the position of the island changed. The protection of the forest area has resumed again. In 1805, the island again received the status of a reserve.

In 1822, the territory was divided into 55 quarters with one boundary rampart encircling their common borders. Organized forestry began only in 1842. Until 1912, revisions of natural resources were carried out, and the island was divided into 4 parts: one operational and three reserved. Losiny Ostrov National Park was established in August 1983. It was based on a ministerial decree. Since then, the territory has been considered a very valuable natural monument.

Description of the park

Today, Losiny Ostrov (Moscow) has an area of over 116 square kilometers. The forest area occupies 80 percent of the territory. It is divided into three zones. The first is the protected part of the park, which is home to rare species of birds and animals. This part of the island is closed to the public and is carefully guarded.

The second zone is called educational and excursion. Tourist and ecological routes are laid through this territory, accompanied by professional guides. There are four visiting places in this part. The third zone is called recreational. It is intended for mass recreation.

Park location

Losiny Ostrov (Moscow) originates from Sokolniki. It borders with cities:

Korolev;
Balashikha;
Mytishchi;
Shchelkovo.

The Losiny Ostrov park is located on an area of 12,000 hectares, but beyond the Moscow Ring Road there is only 2/3 of the forest. From the southwestern border of the reserve to the Kremlin is only eight kilometers. The length of the park from south to north is 10 km, from east to west - 22 km.

Nature

"Elk Island" (park) is very beautiful. In the center of the territory there is a small swamp, from which the river begins. Yauza. And also in the reserve there are many more streams and reservoirs that form a large water network. Previously, there were canals with a length of over 100 kilometers in the park. Now most of them are abandoned.

The largest canal is called Akulovsky and has been functioning until now. It appeared in the pre-war years and connects the Pekhorka and Yauza rivers with the Volga. Through the Akulovsky Canal, water enters the Russian capital.

Separately, it is worth paying attention to Alekseevskaya Grove, which for a long time also had the status of a reserve. This is a unique territory, the age of which is 250 years. There are many swamps in the park, and they occupy a fairly large area.

Vegetable world

"Elk Island" (park) has always, even in wartime, been under the close attention of the country's leaders. Trees were constantly planted on the territory. Thanks to the work of many volunteer designers, the reserve has acquired a wonderful appearance, as evidenced by numerous reviews.

Now more than 800 species of various plants grow in the park: lichens, mushrooms, etc. Many plants are listed in the Red Book of Russia. In the Alekseevskaya grove, pine mainly grows. Centuries-old lindens, taiga spruce forests and oak forests have miraculously survived. The herbaceous cover is also varied. Growing in the park:

prolesnik;
lungwort;
wintergreen;
buttercup anemone;
double leaf miner;
sedge;
Zelenchuk.

The park grows a lot of strawberries, blueberries and sour, which is popular with visitors. Since it is replete with swamps, there is also an abundance of lingonberries on the territory.

Animal world

The animals of "Elk Island" are also distinguished by a great variety. There are over 280 species of birds and animals in the park. Among them:

180 - birds;
8 - amphibians;
4 - reptiles;
40 - mammals;
over 20 - freshwater fish.

"Moose Island" (park) got its name for a reason. Since ancient times, many horned artiodactyls lived on the territory. The number of moose has survived to this day. In the post-war period, spotted deer also appeared in the reserve.

Wild boars began to breed, and now their population has increased significantly. The number of beavers has been completely restored. There are many fur-bearing animals in the reserve:

ermine;
squirrel;
black ferret;
marten;
mink.

Owls and bats reign in the park at night. Rodents get along well with animals, harmoniously complementing the reserve with their presence.

Biological station on "Elk Island"

The biostation in the Losiny Ostrov park is located next to the Jaeger site. This is a place where it is allowed not only to look at artiodactyls. You can stroke and feed not only adults, but also cubs. Moose take it easy. These are very cautious animals and in the wild they always try to avoid meeting people.

At the biostation, the artiodactyls are already accustomed to the presence of humans and are willing to make contact. The employees of the reserve tell those who wish about the peculiarities of the behavior of animals, their domestication and nutrition. There are separate private tours. In winter, you can even watch spotted deer. Visiting the biostation is by appointment.

How to get to the biostation?

It will take a long time to get to the biostation. From the metro station "VDNKh" in the direction of the region there are many regular buses. You need to take any of them and get to the first stop after the Moscow Ring Road. Exit before turning towards the village of Druzhba. Then walk along the main road for another 40 minutes. The path will take approximately 4 kilometers and will pass through the village.

When the road runs into a forest, turn left. From there, a barrier with a checkpoint will be visible. Go straight all the time, turn left at the fork and get to the biostation, which is equipped with a gate.

Elk Island (Park): how to get there?

You can do this in several ways. The entrance to the park is located on the side of Prohodchikov and Rotert streets. Nearby are the metro stations "Babushkinskaya" and "Medvedkovo". You can quickly get to the park from the Elk railway platform.

And you can also take buses No. 136 and 172, which depart from the VDNKh metro station. Trams No. 29, 36 and 12 go to another part of the park. They depart from the station. m. "Podbelsky Street".

Elk biological station:Who lives in the specially protected area of the Losiny Ostrov National Park?

The moose biostation is truly the pearl of the Losiny Ostrov National Park. Having created it in 2002, the employees rescued and raised a large number of moose calves that were once left without maternal care. Now on the territory of the Moose Biological Station you can see not only moose, but also spotted deer, wild boars and even roe deer. But first things first.

Losiny Ostrov National Park is a unique natural complex surrounded by urban developments in Moscow and the Moscow region. It was created in 1983 and, along with Sochi, is one of the first national parks in Russia. Located northeast of Moscow, this 128 km2 patch of forest is the size of a typical Central Russian city. (here you can put picture No. 1 - a map of Moscow and Losiny Ostrov - from some parttext, you can make a caption under the picture) The Moscow Ring Road passes through the territory of the national park, which divides the National Park into two parts - Moscow and Moscow region. So, without leaving the city of Moscow, you can find yourself in an extraordinarily beautiful forest in which all the trees that exist in the forests near Moscow grow, elks, foxes, squirrels, hares, martens live, woodpeckers knock with their beaks, hawks and jays scream, other birds arrange their lives, the diversity of which is estimated at about 165 species. All this is the wealth of the Losiny Ostrov National Park, which visitors, observing the rules of behavior in the forest, can see with their own eyes.

Its unusual name "Elk Island" was given in the middle of the 17th century. Then it was an island of forest among arable land, now it is an island of forest surrounded by urban development. Speaking about the past, it is more correct to use the name “Moose-running island”, “running” because during the hunt for moose, with the help of dogs, they were driven from the dense forest to open spaces - fields and arable land, so it was easier to get the beast. Moose meat was especially valued at that time, and the horns served as an excellent trophy, and in the 18th-19th centuries in Russia officers' uniforms were made from the skin taken from the legs of animals - tight pants, which were called "leggings". (picture #2: taken from Wikipedia - "Portrait of the Life Hussar Colonel Evgraf Vladimirovich Davydov" by O. Kiprensky)

Years passed, and since the beginning of the 20th century, elk hunting has become less popular - the number of individuals has decreased, and hunting itself has been banned, trying to restore the livestock. Now, for 30 years now, Losiny Ostrov has been a specially protected natural area, and the employees of the national park strictly monitor the number and living conditions of animals, the growth and development of plants. Inspectors ensure order within the boundaries of the national park, stop any violations by visitors.

Moose biological station

The concept of "national park" implies carrying out simultaneously three types of activities: scientific, environmental and environmental education. And it was within the framework of environmental, educational, scientific goals that in 2002, on the Jaeger section of the national park, 2 km from the village of Druzhba, the Mytishchi microdistrict, the Elk Biological Station was created. (picture #3: Biostation location) The goals of the creation were to save lost elk calves and other animals, help them, provide food, and also to “diluted” the closed population of elk of the national park with animals from other territories.

So, in order to enrich the gene pool of elks living in the park, 10 years ago, a young elk Yadviga, a male Lukoil and a female Yanguta were brought from the Kostroma moose farm to the Elk Biological Station. Moose calves were raised at a biological station, they were carefully looked after, and closer to summer they were released into the wild, wearing special collars with radio tags-beacons to track the movement of wards and the formation of habitats for these animals. Every year, tamed elk brought offspring, young animals were also fed and released into the wild. Some of them came back – they were fed at the Elk Biological Station and it was safe there, while others preferred wild conditions. Moose moose Malysha, who is now 12 years old, turned out to be the most “faithful” Moose Biological Station. In 2004, employees of the National Park rescued her from a private zoo, where she was languishing from improper conditions of detention - the owners did not know how to properly feed the moose, while she was in a cramped enclosure, which aggravated the situation. Once on the territory of the biological station, not limited in movement and in a healthy diet, Malysha soon gave birth, gave birth to two calves at once. And now she is at the biological station with her young daughter - until she has a name, everyone calls the elk simply - Small. (picture No. 4 - Baby-mother lies, Small stands next to her) The process of communication between moose is very interesting, they make an unusual sound, similar to a mixture of lowing and meowing. This sound is also reproduced by the employees of the biological station, entering into a dialogue with the moose and creating an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust.

More about moose

Moose - the most important and largest "vegetarians" of Losiny Island - in winter in the wild feed on the bark and branches of deciduous trees and pines, at the biostation they are also fed with steamed oatmeal. In summer, being in their natural habitat, these animals eat herbaceous plants: they especially love Ivan-tea and some marsh plants, they eat mushrooms and rowan fruits with pleasure. The elk is the largest species of the deer family, at the withers it is much higher than a person of average height, by weight - 5 times heavier. Horns are worn only by males, while the larger the horns, and no matter how large the male himself is, the more he will be respected by the rest of the individuals. (picture No. 5: Elk with horns, and picture No. 6 Elk and calf) The elk is called “moose” because its shape resembles a plow horn. The elk itself needs the horns not at all for defense, but in order to arrange fights during the mating season. (Picture No. 7: Fights between males) For defense, the elk uses strong hooves, with which, unlike a horse, it can fight off a predator in all directions at once. (picture No. 8 - Caption: An elk with one blow of a hoof can even kill a wolf) Moreover, moose run very fast - up to 56 km / h, they are excellent jumpers - they can jump over a fence 1.5-2 meters high from a place, while they are good swimmers and divers. (picture No. 9: Moose swims) So, for example, on hot summer days, moose escape from blood-sucking insects by staying in ponds and reservoirs for a long time.

You can meet such an unusual forest animal at the Moose Biological Station and even feed it with carrots, bread and apples. In summer, when large animals go to the forests, wounded, lost or abandoned moose calves are brought to the territory of the biostation, who need help. It often happens that a moose cow that has recently given birth leaves her offspring for a short time in search of food, leaves them so as not to bother them with long journeys, and people, seeing the moose alone, think that they are lost, feed and stroke them. The elk, having returned, will never come to the little calf, which was stroked by a man - he is already a stranger to her. This is how abandoned cubs appear, which are brought to the biological station. In summer, moose calves are fattened with whole goat milk, for which several goats are kept on the territory of the biological station all year round.

Who else can you meet at the biostation?

However, moose are not the only inhabitants of the Moose Biological Station. Handsome spotted deer come here to feed. (picture #10: Sika deer at the feeder) The history of acclimatization of these animals in the Moscow region goes back to the middle of the 20th century, when sika deer were brought from the Far East of Russia to enrich the local fauna. Initially, even before the formation of the Losiny Ostrov National Park, sika deer were kept in special enclosures in the Mytishchi forest park, and later they were released into the wild. When the National Park was created, spotted deer continued to be fed, because in the winter near Moscow with high snow cover, these animals cannot survive on their own. Animals are used to the fact that the employees of the national park do not drive them away, feed them and protect them from dangers, so every year before the onset of cold weather, spotted deer in a herd of about 100 individuals come to spend the winter at the Elk Biological Station. With the advent of spring, when the conditions of existence in the wild become less harsh, spotted deer, like moose, go to the forests.

Also, another representative of the deer family, the roe deer Masha, has been living at the Moose Biological Station for 3 years now. She was found on the border of the Moscow and Tver regions, her mother was hit by a car, and a tiny one-month-old Masha was found and saved, giving it to a biological station. Although she is the only roe deer in the entire territory of the national park, Masha is not at all lonely - she is friends and often plays with cats living next to her. (picture No. 11: roe deer and kitty).

If you are lucky, you can also meet wild boars at the Moose Biological Station (picture No. 12: wild boars, if the quality is not suitable, you can take picture No. 12 boar 2). These animals practically do not show themselves to people, they are shy and come to the biological station exclusively in search of food. A special feeder has been built for them, 500 m from the biological station, where they bring oats, bread, and some vegetables. However, even the employees of the biological station, who bring food to them every day, cannot come close to these animals. Even from a distance, hearing the sound of an engine, the boars run back into the forest. But as soon as the employee fills in the feed and drives off about 100 meters from the feeder, the wild boars immediately run up to feed. (picture #13) The most interesting thing is that not only wild boars eat poured food, but spotted deer and even in O rones - this is how several species of animals are helped at the Moose Biological Station at once.

Elk Island is an extraordinary natural area rich in various plant and animal species. Elk Biological Station is that section of the national park where, literally five kilometers from Moscow, you can see animals almost in natural conditions, learn the history of the distribution of species, their characteristics and habits. Everyone can come to the Moose Biological Station, having previously signed up for an excursion. Come, we are always glad to see guests!

For residents of the North-East of the Moscow region, meetings with the giants of the forest are not uncommon. In our area, moose often go out to major roads and wander into residential areas. Yes, and the people are inquisitive; as soon as the elk appears near the road, a traffic jam immediately forms, people take out their mobile phones and try to capture it. Even if they see the beast not for the first time. But I personally understand that moose are still wild animals, and if they throw their legs forward, frightened, they won’t seem small ...

This is so, a lyrical digression. One more thing. My profession allows me to see a bunch of wonderful places near Moscow. I am a journalist. She worked for almost 10 years in Korolyov, which also borders on Losiny Ostrov, and therefore at one time visited all the eco-centers in the national park. I have been to the biostation more than once. And every time - the most positive emotions from communication with moose. The last visit took place within the framework of the rally of journalists from the Moscow region, which was dedicated to the Year of Ecology in Russia. By the way: the vast majority of residents of the capital and the region do not even know that in the immediate vicinity there is an opportunity to communicate with moose in a safe environment...

Now (June 2017) at the Elk Biological Station they meet visitors Boniface (or simply Bonya), who is a little over a year old, and three-year-old Dina (pupils change, so it’s not a fact that, for example, next year they will still be at the biostation) . They see guests from afar and rush to meet them in anticipation of a treat.

While the moose are crunching carrots, the national park staff talk about the behavior of animals, nutrition (never offer white bread to moose! Carrots are their favorite delicacy), how orphaned babies are raised, and then help them adapt in the wild.

Before this visit, I had not been to the biostation for 3 or 4 years - something has changed. In December 2015, the reconstruction was completed here. The territory has been ennobled, parking has been made, convenient paths have been laid for visitors so that they do not have to jump on uncut grass. There are even viewing platforms. The head of the biological station is quite young in age. But it is clear that he loves his work, he talks excitedly. And I'm ready to talk about moose for hours.

Of course, we listened. However, everyone (adult uncles and aunts!) really wanted to feed and pet the moose. Dina is quite calm about stroking her head. But the small one from an excess of attention begins to get nervous and goes to a safe distance from people.

Those who have not yet met moose who know a person have some slight fear - what if they bite when they take food from their hands. Such things are rare. I noticed that they take food gently with their lips.

Despite the fact that the Elk Biological Station is a restricted facility, anyone can get here by ordering an excursion. In addition, wild boars are also kept here, who are not averse to eating black bread. And if you're lucky, you can watch cautious spotted deer, for which feeding areas are organized in the vicinity of the biological station.