Moose in Polissia

The moose is the largest member of the deer family. It has long legs, a humped shoulder, an elongated muzzle with an overhanging upper lip and a “bell” – a leathery flap of skin under the throat. Males carry broad, shovel-shaped antlers, which they shed every winter. The coat is dark brown, the legs lighter.

In Polissia the moose lives where bogs, floodplains, alder forests and young pine plantations meet. It is regularly seen in the Polissia and Rivne nature reserves, in Shatsk National Park and in the Chornobyl zone, where the number of hoofed animals has grown noticeably in the absence of people.

Moose graze mostly in the morning and evening: they browse shoots of willow, aspen and pine, and in summer wade into water for aquatic plants. In winter their presence shows in gnawed young pines and large, deep tracks. In autumn, during the rut, males become excitable and can be dangerous.

If you see a moose, do not approach it and do not block its way out. Be especially careful with a cow leading a calf and with a bull during the rut. The moose is listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. On Polissia's forest roads it is often involved in road accidents, so slow down at dusk.