Mighty moose, armed with massive horns, are not only magnificent and graceful animals, but also menacing, especially if they are angry. In the north, they have been trying to breed them since the times of the USSR, albeit with varying success, despite the active work of breeders. If moose can be finally domesticated, they can be an important tool for the economy of all the northern regions.
With a length of up to 3 meters and a height at the withers of up to 2.3 meters, an adult moose can weigh up to 600 kg. From the biological point of view, the deer is the closest relative of the moose from a biological point of view. Moose swim well, and they are not afraid of cold water, or significant distances, overcoming water obstacles up to 20-25 kilometers wide. In summer, these animals love to swim. Mooses are famous for their unpredictable temper. At the sight of a person, they can retreat, and they can attack – as lucky.
Because of the very long legs, the moose, in order to drink water, must either go deep into the water, or bend the front legs, otherwise it will not reach the water. The moose horns are larger than any other modern animals. Their scope reaches 1.8 meters. The hooves on their front hooves are sharpened, which turns them into the most dangerous weapon. With one well-aimed blow, an moose is quite capable of killing even a large predator, not to mention a man.
In the USSR and Russia many attempts were made to domesticate mooses. In the Soviet Union there were 7 moose farms, now 2 of them are functioning. The nickname “moose” moose deserved because of the shape of its horns, resembling a plow, an agricultural tool. Around December to May, moose walk without horns, dropping them for the winter. And females horns and not at all. In total in the world now there are about 1.5 million moose. Approximately 50% of them live in Russia. The rest are mainly in the north of Europe and the USA.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Swedish military tried to create moose cavalry, but failed. And in Sweden, from moose excrement, paper is produced, which, by the way, is the most environmentally friendly in the world. The main food of these animals are young woody branches. In the warm season, they willingly feed on aquatic and marsh vegetation. Mooses easily get drunk if they eat, for example, fallen from trees and fermented apples. A drunken moose is scary. Daily, moose eat about 25 kg of food, but when they are starved they can eat in one sitting and twice as much. In winter, they lead a daytime life, and in summer – mostly nocturnal, due to the heat.
Weight moose horns can reach 30 kg. When running, moose can reach speeds of up to 58-58 km / h. Every year, hunters all over the world shoot about 4-5% of all mooses in the world, but they multiply rather quickly, and their numbers do not decrease from year to year. In the wild, wolves and bears are dangerous for a moose, but even they do not always risk attacking potential prey armed with horns and sharp hooves. In the fall, during the mating season, moose become extremely aggressive, and often attack everyone they see. These animals live up to about 20-22 years, but only in captivity. According to statistics, in the wild, only about 3% of mooses are older than 3 years. Moose milk is similar to cow’s milk, but it is fatter and without a sweetish flavor.
