Moose biological station excursion. Elk biological station. How to get there from the metro

If you like to walk in nature and also feed animals, then you should definitely go to the Losiny Ostrov park at the Elk Biological Station. The biological station of the Losiny Ostrov National Park is unique. Only here you will have the opportunity to touch and feed the moose. Moose are quite demanding in terms of living conditions, so you almost never see them in nurseries and zoos.

The most convenient way to get to the Losinaya Biological Station by car is at the address Kropotkinsky Prospect. Parking for personal vehicles 250 rubles per car for the entire duration of your stay on the territory of the Biostation.

You can also:

from VDNH metro station: any regular bus going to the region. Drive to the first stop “Yaroslavskoe Highway / Perlovskaya Platform” after the MKAD (~ 1 km from the MKAD - after turning to the village of Druzhba). 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 (a checkpoint with a barrier is visible). Further straight ahead all the time (at the fork you need to stay to the left) - we get straight to the gate of the biological station.
from the Los railway station: bus No. 547 (rarely runs - you need to check the schedule) to the 4th Parkovaya Street stop, then to the checkpoint and straight ahead all the time.
from the Perlovskaya railway station (Yaroslavskoe direction): minibus No. 3 to the final stop (near the forest) “4th Parkovaya Street”, then to the checkpoint and straight ahead all the time.

Cost of visiting (payment only in cash, after the tour):

Price children's tickets: weekdays 343 ruble, day off 378 rubles
Price adult tickets: weekdays 490 rubles, day off 539 rubles

Groups are formed of approximately 20-25 people

Excursion times:

11:00 And 13:00 hours (in order to comply with the feeding and rest regime of animals).

The tour lasts about an hour

We started our excursion by meeting Dina the elk

The biological station employee will have a bucket of chopped carrots; moose simply adore them. You calmly come up, take a carrot and feed the Moose. There is absolutely no need to be afraid that he will bite you!!!

You can bring your own carrots, just wash them before feeding, otherwise when we were the only visitors we took our own carrots, but they turned out to be dirty... the moose is not exactly a fool :))) and of course he turned away from such a carrot (he was already tamed there to the clean one :)))))

After feeding, petting and photographing Dina, we set off further.

Interesting Facts:
Moose milk is 3-4 times fatter than cow's milk and 5 times richer in protein. Over the summer, a moose cow produces 150-430 liters of milk.

Our next stop is at the enclosure where two wild boars live

We also start feeding them carrots

For the boars, you can safely take apples with you, they will eat them with pleasure

You can safely give them carrots through the bars, but it’s better to throw apples over the fence

Boars just poke their heels into the fence for a treat :)

Of course, you can’t hug or pet wild boars :)))), but children will enjoy feeding the wild boars

As our group approached, the deer perked up their ears :))) in general they are very timid animals

The guide sprinkled grain on the road for them

and they crawled out of their hiding places :) towards the stern

True, you need to behave quietly, not make loud sounds or sudden movements, otherwise the deer will quickly run away

The deer sheds its antlers every year. These are the horns he grows in 4-5 months

Meet Stepan the moose, he is only one and a half years old

Stepan loves carrots

You can safely pet Stepan and take great selfies :)

Attempts to tame the moose and make it a pet have been made for a long time. This is evidenced by numerous rock paintings found in different parts of the world. People were attracted to the moose by its unpretentious nature and ability to quickly adapt to different living conditions.
Many authors describe the use of moose by the indigenous peoples of Siberia thousands of years ago. For example, there is evidence that the Yakuts rode moose. However, the experience of moose farming did not take hold; perhaps the elk could not stand the competition with herd animals - horses and reindeer.

Where you will be shown an educational video about the Losiny Ostrov park

Time flew by very quickly. Everyone was very pleased, everyone had a huge amount of positive emotions. The excursion was a success.

For residents of the North-East of the Moscow region, encounters with forest giants are not uncommon. In our area, moose often go out to major highways and wander into residential neighborhoods. And the people are inquisitive; As soon as an elk appears near the road, a traffic jam immediately forms, people take out their cell phones and try to capture it. Even if it’s not the first time they’ve seen an animal. But I personally understand that moose are still wild animals, and if they throw their legs forward, scared, it won’t seem like much...

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. I worked in Korolev for almost 10 years, which also borders Losiny Ostrov, and therefore at one time I visited all the eco-centers on the territory of the national park. I have been to the biological station more than once. And every time - the most positive emotions from communicating with moose. The last visit took place as part of a motor 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 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) Boniface (or simply Bonya), who is just over a year old, and three-year-old Dina are greeting visitors at the “Moose Biological Station” (the pupils change, so it is not a fact that, for example, next year they will still be at the biological station) . They see guests from afar and rush towards them in anticipation of a treat.

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

Before this visit, I had not been to the biological station for 3 or 4 years - something has changed. Reconstruction was completed here in December 2015. The area has been landscaped, parking has been created, and convenient paths have been laid out for visitors so that they don’t have to jump on uncut grass. There are even observation decks. The head of the biological station is quite young in age. But it’s clear that he loves his work and 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 takes patting on the head quite calmly. But the little one starts to get nervous from too much attention 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 carefully with their lips.

Despite the fact that the Elk Biological Station is a sensitive facility, anyone can get here by booking an excursion. In addition, wild boars are kept here, which are not averse to eating black bread. And if you’re lucky, you can also watch the wary sika deer, for which feeding areas have been organized in the vicinity of the biological station.

The elk biological station is located on the territory of the national park Losiny Island. It was created to support the moose population living in the forest park. Here they monitor and treat animals. All animals living at the station are free. The employees' task is to help them recover and adapt to life in their natural habitat.

You can get to the territory of the biological station as part of an excursion group by pre-registering by phone (number: +7 965 230-60-31). Visiting times for individual visitors are at 11.00 and 13.00 on Sundays. The tour lasts 45 minutes. The cost is 385 rubles for an adult ticket and 220 rubles for a child ticket (2016). During the tour, visitors are told about the work of the biological station and about the life and behavior of moose. There is also the opportunity to feed the animals (food is provided by the biological station workers). However, it is not always possible to find a large number of animals in place. There may be few of them, because most of the time they prefer to move freely around the forest park. In winter, moose (former inhabitants) and deer come to the biological station to feed. Therefore, winter is the best time to visit.

How to get there

You can get to the Losinaya Biological Station by car: about 1 km after the Moscow Ring Road along the Yaroslavskoe highway towards the region, then turn to the village of “Druzhba”. Through the village along Karl Liebknecht and Oktyabrskaya streets to the beginning of the Forest Park at Kropotkinsky Proezd. After the checkpoint with a barrier - all the way straight to the end of the asphalt road. There is parking at the entrance to the Losinaya Biological Station (cost: 220 rubles).

You can also get to the Losinaya Biological Station by public transport.

From the VDNH metro station. On any regular bus traveling to the region. Drive to the first stop after the Moscow Ring Road (before the turn to the Druzhba village). Next, you need to walk for about 40 minutes along the main road through the village (3-4 km) until the road reaches the forest. Then turn left (a checkpoint with a barrier will be visible). Further straight ahead all the time (at the fork you need to stay to the left) and you get to the biological station.

From the railway station "Los". Bus number 547 (watch the schedule, it rarely runs) to the final stop and then straight ahead.

From the Perlovskaya railway station. Bus and minibus No. 3 to the final stop near the forest. Next - straight ahead.

There is a national park in Moscow, which is located on Losiny Island. This is where the green massif got its name. The first mention of the park dates back to 1406. The green area, located in the northeast of the capital, was a favorite territory for royal falconry and chase hunting. Since then, Losiny Ostrov (park) has not lost its attractiveness. But now the territory is used for other purposes.

History of the park

Losiny Ostrov National Park begins its history in the 15th century, but acquired its status later. The green area was first mentioned in written sources during the period when Moscow became the center of northeastern Rus'. At that time, the island belonged to the Taininsky volost, located along today's Yaroslavl highway. Ivan the Terrible loved to hunt in the park.

Later, a royal hunting farm arose on the island. The park began to be called the “Sovereign Trap Route” and acquired the status of a nature reserve. As before, hunting was organized in this territory, often with foreign ambassadors. The name “Losiny Island” appeared only in 1710. In the 18th century. it began to belong to the state department, and hunting on the territory was prohibited to everyone without exception.

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

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

Description of the park

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

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

Park location

"Losiny Island" (Moscow) originates from Sokolniki. It borders with the cities:

• Korolev;
• Balashikha;
• Mytishchi;
• Shchelkovo.

Losiny Ostrov Park is located on an area of ​​12,000 hectares, but only 2/3 of the forest area is located outside the Moscow Ring Road. 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

"Losiny Ostrov" (park) is very beautiful. In the center of the territory there is a small swamp, from which the river begins. Yauza. There are also many streams and reservoirs in the reserve, forming a large water network. Previously, the park contained canals over 100 kilometers long. Now most of them are abandoned.

The largest canal is called Akulovsky and has been operating to this day. It appeared in the pre-war years and connects the Pekhorka and Yauza rivers with the Volga. Through the Akulovsky Canal, water flows into the Russian capital.

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

Vegetable world

"Losiny Ostrov" (park) has always, even in wartime, been under the close attention of the country's leaders. Trees were constantly being added to the area. 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. Pine trees mainly grow in Alekseevskaya Grove. Miraculously, centuries-old linden trees, taiga spruce forests and oak forests have been preserved. The grass cover is also varied. Growing in the park:

• forester;
• lungwort;
• wintergreen;
• buttercup anemone;
• two-leaf mine;
• sedge;
• Zelenchuk.

There are a lot of wild strawberries, blueberries and wood sorrel growing in the park, which visitors love. Since it abounds in swamps, there is also an abundance of lingonberries on the territory.

Animal world

The animals of Losiny Island are also very diverse. 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.

“Losiny Ostrov” (park) got its name for a reason. Since ancient times, many horned artiodactyls lived in the territory. The number of moose has survived to this day. In the post-war period, sika 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.

At night, the park is dominated by owls and bats. Rodents get along well with animals, harmoniously complementing the reserve with their presence.

Biological station on Losiny Island

The biological station in the Losiny Ostrov park is located next to the ranger’s station. This is a place where you are allowed not only to look at artiodactyls. You can pet and feed not only adults, but also young ones. Moose take this calmly. These are very cautious animals and in the wild they always try to avoid meeting people.

At the biological station, artiodactyls are already accustomed to the presence of humans and willingly make contact. The staff of the reserve tell those interested about the peculiarities of animal behavior, their domestication and nutrition. There are separate individual excursions. In winter you can even watch sika deer. Visits to the biological station are by appointment.

How to get to the biological station?

It will take a long time to get to the biological station. There are many regular buses from the VDNH metro station towards the region. You need to take any of them and get to the first stop after the Moscow Ring Road. Get out 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 reaches a forest, you need to turn left. From there you will be able to see the barrier with the checkpoint. Go straight all the time, turn left at the fork and get to the biological station, which is equipped with a gate.

Losiny Island (park): how to get there?

There are several ways to do this. The entrance to the park is located from Prokhodchikov and Roterta streets. Nearby are the Babushkinskaya and Medvedkovo metro stations. The park can be quickly reached from the Los railway platform.

Or you can get there by buses No. 136 and 172, which depart from the VDNH metro station. Trams No. 29, 36 and 12 go to another part of the park. They depart from the station. m. "Ulitsa Podbelskogo".

Good afternoon friends!

Today I want to take you on an excursion to one wonderful place - the Elk Biological Station in the Losiny Ostrov National Park. Excursions to the Elk Biological Station are conducted only in winter, since it is at this time that moose and herds of sika deer come to the territory of the biological station.

Just entering the territory, we see a huge herd of sika deer.

The entire population of sika deer on the territory of “Losiny Ostrov” numbers more than 200 individuals, half of which come to the biological station at a time for feeding (and we saw approximately the same number of deer during the excursion). During the hungry winter months, feeding areas for moose, deer, and wild boar are set up in the protected area of ​​the national park.

Brief information about the sika deer from Wikipedia:

Dappled deer(lat. Cervus nippon) is a mammal from the deer family (lat. Cervidae). In summer it has a reddish-red color with characteristic white spots; in winter it becomes dull. Height at the withers is 95-115 cm, body length 160-180 cm, weight 75-130 kg. Males are much larger than females. Lives in southern Primorye, introduced to the central zone of the European part of Russia, to the Caucasus. Deer feed on herbaceous plants, fallen acorns, nuts and fruits, leaves of trees and shrubs, mushrooms, berries, and in winter they eat bark and young branches. The number of deer in the wild is less than 3,000 heads; the status of Endangered Species (I category) has been assigned.

Female sika deer do not have antlers.

The larger and stronger the male, the more horns he has. Usually the length of the horns does not exceed 80 cm, the approximate weight is 1.3 kg.

Sika deer sheds its antlers in late April - early May. Almost immediately he begins to grow new horns. Growing, non-keratinized antlers are called antlers. The antlers are covered with velvety leather with short soft hairs. If, during the growth of antlers, a deer hits them against something hard or otherwise injures them, then the antlers may grow deformed. For example, this deer has asymmetrical antlers and the lower process of the right antler is missing, which does not prevent him from being the main male in the herd. Do you see how much free space there is around him? The females and young deer around prefer to give up their feeding place to him.

If, after this deer sheds its crooked antlers in the spring and begins to grow new ones, it does not damage them anywhere again, then they will grow even and beautiful. As, for example, with other representatives of this herd.

By spring, the horn processes wear away (the white ends of the processes are visible in the photo). During the rut (October), males fight for females. Sika deer do not often wound each other in fights. But it may happen that two males, having locked horns, cannot separate. If they fail, the deer may die.

The female carries one, or less often two, cubs for 7.5 months. Fawns are born in June-July.

During the first year of life, the fawns grow small straight horns without shoots - an awl. They can be seen on the head of the left deer.

During the rut, the male maintains a herd of 10-20 females. Later, the herd breaks up and the males unite into small male groups. In winter, due to a lack of food, the sika deer of Elk Island unite in large groups, which can be observed on excursions. In the spring they will disperse throughout the surrounding area.

Of course, we went to the Elk Biological Station to see the beautiful elk. The elk is a solitary animal and does not gather in herds, so not many elk can be seen on the territory of the biological station at the same time. Adult moose are placed in large enclosures, while young ones are allowed to roam freely around the area.

This elk calf is not yet a year old. Two large tubercles are visible above his eyes - horns will subsequently grow from them.

Elk(lat. Alces alces) is an artiodactyl mammal, the largest species of the deer family. The height of the male at the withers is up to 2.3 m, body length is up to 3 m, weight is 360 - 650 kg. Females are smaller. On the territory of Eurasia, the largest subspecies is the Far Eastern one. The spatulate horns of males are huge - up to 180 cm in span (from the very left edge to the very right), weighing 20-30 kg. Males shed their antlers every year in November-December, and new antlers begin to grow in April-May. The females are hornless. Moose feed on trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, as well as mosses, lichens and mushrooms; in winter they switch to feeding on branches and bark. Moose run fast (up to 56 km/h) and are excellent swimmers, looking for aquatic plants and can keep their heads under water for more than a minute.

Mashka the elk is a frequent guest at the biological station. She has a radio transmitter on her neck, which helps to learn about all the movements of the moose cow. Many of the reserve's moose wear similar collars. They do not cause any inconvenience for the animal, and help scientists better study the life of the beautiful forest giants.

There are two moose farms on the territory of the Russian Federation, where extremely healthy moose milk is obtained. There were seven such farms on the territory of the USSR, where they tried to use moose not only as a dairy animal, but also as a riding animal. Due to the difficulties in breeding animals, these projects were considered economically ineffective.

And Masha’s daughter.

Also on the territory of the biological station, one roe deer lives in an enclosure; she was brought to Losiny Ostrov as a cub, she was taken out, raised, but she cannot be released into the wild - stray dogs could kill her. In general, dogs are a big problem for the national park. Dogs kill up to 20 sika deer every year. And not for food, but for hunting. They are afraid of moose, because a moose can easily kill a dog with a blow of its hoof. But a tiny roe deer will have no chance.

The excursion was wonderful and I really enjoyed it. Not only did I learn a lot of new and interesting things about the horned inhabitants of the forest, but I was also able to communicate with them. And petting a beautiful elk and feeding her by hand is an incomparable pleasure.

I would highly recommend everyone to go on an excursion to the Elk Biological Station, both you and your children will probably really like it!

Elk biological station
tel: 8-965-230-60-31
Yutkin Ivan Alexandrovich

Visiting hours: 11:00 and 13:00
(Due to the peculiarities of keeping animals at the biological station: feeding time, rest time)
Duration of the excursion: 45 min

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

Directions:
from metro station VDNKh : any regular bus going to the region. Drive to the 1st stop after the MKAD (~1 km from the MKAD - before turning to the village of Druzhba). 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 (a checkpoint with a barrier is visible). Then go straight all the time (keep to the left at the fork) - we get straight to the gate of the biological station.
from the railway station "Los" : bus No. 547 (rarely runs - you need to check the schedule), or
from the Perlovskaya railway station ": bus or minibus No. 3 to the final stop (near the forest), then - checkpoint and straight ahead all the time (at the fork to the left).
by car - you can drive directly into the territory of the biological station, access is the same as from the VDNKh metro station.

Cost of the excursion: 220 rubles - adults, children ~100 rubles, parking on site (after the barrier) - 200 rubles.