Elk farm in Kostroma is one of the region’s most unusual and popular tourist attractions. This farm is located in the Krasnoselsky district, near the village of Sumarokovo. To date, the farm has 40 adults.
A bit of history
Kostroma farm is the only farm in the world specializing in the cultivation of moose. It was organized in 1963 at the direction of Nikita Khrushchev. The famous reformer of agriculture decided that, like cows, moose could well serve for the benefit of man. Engaged in the organization of a new unusual economy A.P. Mikhailov. He also became his first head. Initially, a moose farm in Kostroma was organized with the expectation of keeping 800 animals. They started a new business with a small one. In the first year, only two calves were raised on the farm.
Unfortunately, a few months after the organization of the farm, N. Khrushchev decided to donate the first domesticated animals to the then head of Yugoslavia, Tito. The farm manager A.P. Mikhailov even tried to hide the moose in the forest. However, they were still found (using a military helicopter). As a result, farm workers had to organize business from the very beginning.
Now, small moose calves were collected in the wild throughout the Kostroma region. Six years after the start of work, the farm already contained five domesticated animals. By 1970, the first offspring was obtained on the farm.
Technologies for keeping moose were not developed at the Sumarokovo farm itself. Kostroma only continued the work of their colleagues from the Pechora economy of the same specialization. Initially, biologists used a variety of techniques to domesticate moose by biologists. In the end, it turned out that good results can only be obtained by keeping these animals in half-prison conditions.
Today, the elk farm in Kostroma is organized in such a way that adults have the opportunity to go into the wild at any time. However, no animal has yet done so. Caring for moose in this farm is really very good. And of course, forest giants are responsible for this to people with love, trust and devotion.
Where can I get a tour
A moose farm is located in Kostroma, on the territory of such a reserve as Sumarokovsky. Animals on the farm, of course, are domesticated, but in any case they continue to remain semi-wild. Therefore, visiting the farm, and the reserve itself, without an experienced guide is highly discouraged even by car. Otherwise, the case may end tragically. Not so long ago, the farm recorded a case of death of motoring tourists who met wild moose on a forest road.
An excursion to the Sumarokovskaya farm is easiest to purchase either in Kostroma itself or in other large settlements of the region. Sells tours to this economy and in many cities in the surrounding areas. If you wish, you can also just get under your own power to the administration of the farm and purchase a tour on site. Visitors Sumarokovskaya moose farm takes year-round, from 10 to 15 hours daily.
How to behave in the household
In order to ensure the safety of tourists and moose themselves, the administration of the reserve has developed a number of rules, which must be followed on the territory of the moose farm. So, for example:
Pets are not allowed on the farm.
You can not give moose brought treats with them. Especially for this purpose, guides give out carrots to all visitors.
In no case should you approach the moose that are near the route. Taking pictures of animals that are not in the pen is allowed only at a distance.
In winter, moose Kostroma farm transferred to a special plot. Before you go on a tour, you should call (8 4942) 35-94-33 to clarify the details. In autumn, summer and spring, animals are kept directly at the main base of the Sumarokovo farm. Actually, the farm administration itself is located in the city of Kostroma, address: 128A Mira Ave.
What you should know about
The village of Sumarokovo from Kostroma, if desired, can be reached not only by car, but also by taxi. It will cost quite expensive - about 800 rubles. However, using the services of a taxi driver, those wishing to inspect a moose farm can easily avoid all sorts of unnecessary problems. The fact is that finding Sumarokovo in the forests of the Kostroma region is quite difficult. So, for example, experienced tourists do not advise asking about Kostroma’s location about it. For some reason, local residents usually indicate visitors to another large village of the same name, located in the Susaninsky district. In an extreme case, in order to visit such an interesting place as a moose farm in Kostroma, it is worth asking the way to the village of Gridino. You can also use the map of the region or move on the navigator.
How to get to the farm in your car
Where exactly is the elk farm (Kostroma) located? How to get to this interesting attraction, many tourists would probably like to know. From the center of Kostroma to this economy you need to go only about 20 km. In the warm season, you should first move along the street. Soviet, and then - along the Kineshem highway. Having left the city limits, you must choose the direction to the village of Poddubnoe. In this village, behind the first houses you should turn left, in the direction of s. Ikonnikovo, and then to the right, on the Krasnoselskaya road. Then through s. Semenkovo need to move to Gridino (across the bridge, past a large landfill). After 1.3 km you should turn right - onto a gravel road. About a kilometer before the farm, you will see a log arch symbolizing the entrance to the farm.
In winter, you do not need to turn onto the gravel road after Gridino. At this time of the year, you should continue to move in a straight line, past the abandoned quarry and cemetery, and then through the pine forest to the transverse clearing (about 3 km). Here you need to turn left. After a kilometer you can see the first moose feeders.
Sumarokovskaya Lososeferm (Kostroma): reviews of vacationers
Most of the tourists who visited this unusual economy talk about it with undisguised enthusiasm. On the farm you can see the paddock of adult animals, as well as moose "kindergarten". Directly in front of the farm itself is a large free car park. Also nearby is, judging by the reviews of vacationers, a pretty clean log bathroom. Tickets for visiting the farm can be purchased in a nearby building - at the box office. Many tourists praise this economy, including the fact that large families can inspect it for free.
An excursion to a moose farm in Kostroma allows, according to many tourists, as close as possible to the wild. Nowhere else is it simply impossible to look at moose living in almost natural conditions. A farm inspection lasts an average of one hour. Carrots for moose are issued to tourists free of charge. Photos and videos on the farm can be completely free. In addition to moose, two sika deer live on the farm , with whom many make interesting selfies.
Of the shortcomings of the economy, tourists mainly note only the lack of soap in the bathroom, the presence of a huge number of mosquitoes and the duration of the excursion itself is too short. Also, the bumpy road to the farm (at the very end) deserved not very good reviews, which, apparently, no one had ever worked on.
State reserve "Sumarokovsky": areas of activity
The main and main task of the Kostroma farm itself is to obtain elk milk. This product, by the way, can also be purchased on excursions. The most important activity of the entire reserve as a whole is, of course, nature conservation. Sumarokovskaya moose farm creates all the conditions necessary to increase the number of these forest giants in the surrounding forests, as well as to preserve their gene pool. Various kinds of scientific research are being conducted on the farm.
The total area of the reserve is 36,176 ha. At the same time, half of it is covered with dense forests. The list of animals living in the reserve includes 43 species. In addition to moose, wild boars, foxes, badgers, ermines, etc. are found here. More than 176 species of birds live in the reserve, 31 of which are listed in the Red Book.
Farm Elk Care
Animals older than two years are kept in Sumarokovsky farm in a separate enclosure, fenced only on three sides. A special "kindergarten" is reserved for young animals. Moose is taken away from mothers immediately after birth. For kids, the Kostroma moosefarm buys a special feed mixture containing all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
When suffering from weaning from the mother, the moose calves do not experience any suffering. It is all about the peculiarities of the psychology of these forest animals. For a little calf, the mother is exclusively the one who feeds him. In a farm, therefore, this is the worker responsible for distributing the mixture. Approximately the same applies to moose. For their young, they take those who take their milk. That is, milkmaids working on the farm.
Composition of elk milk
This valuable product is delivered from the Sumarokovskaya farm mainly only to the nearby sanatorium named after them. I. Susanina. From the chemical composition, elk milk is significantly different. So, for example, it contains on average 2 times more amino acids. Fat in the composition of this product includes 10%, and protein - 8%. Much more than in cow, elk milk also contains trace elements. It is of particular value because it is characterized by high lysozyme activity (40-60 μg / ml). This product costs about 1000 rubles per liter.
Using Elk Milk
This useful product is used mainly for the treatment of gastric ulcer. It is noticed that after passing the course in the sanatorium named after I. Susanin using elk milk is completely cured up to 95% of patients. In addition to gastric ulcers, this product can be used for radiation sickness, cytostatic dysbiosis, and diseases of the duodenum.
Elk horns: for sale
During the season, only one moose cow can produce a total of 100-500 liters of milk (depending on age and other reasons). In this case, the course of treatment, for example, of the same peptic ulcer involves the use of only about 10-12 liters. That is, only from one animal can such an amount of product be obtained that is necessary to alleviate the condition of about 10-50 patients.
Of course, milk is the most valuable product sold by the farm. However, of course, far from the only one. Horns are also what Sumarokovskaya Lososeferm (Kostroma) sells. Of course, nobody cuts them specially from animals. Moose themselves lose their horns from November to December. After that, new ones begin to grow in them. Only moose males have horns. In the wild, with their help, animals are protected from predators, and also claim their own territorial rights.
Moose antlers can be used, for example, in the interior, as decoration. Also, various beautiful souvenirs are made of them. By the way, you can buy any such trinket (like the horns themselves) in the farm itself, in a small shop.
Exact address and tour prices
Thus, the location of the director’s office of such an interesting attraction as the only elk farm in Russia is Kostroma. The address of the farm itself is as follows: Kostroma region., Krasnoselsky district, village of Sumarokovo. Actually, the tour itself, purchased directly on the farm, is very inexpensive - 150 rubles. for an adult and 100 rubles. for a child.