The story about an unusual animal technician, a professional horse rider and an equestrian coach was told by the journalists of the Mercy portal. Artur Maliev has been engaged in the care and cultivation of moose for more than ten years.
"The first time a downed moose was brought to Arthur Maliev 10 years ago. It was a small moose a month old with a broken jaw and a wound in its stomach. The baby died, having pierced the harsh man's heart. Since then, Arthur has become seriously interested in moose and these forest animals have become the center of his life," the portal writes.
"I've been trying to buy a moose for three years. I applied everywhere. But it is impossible to buy a moose anywhere. Only at the Kostroma farm with the conclusion of the contract. They must write out a veterinary certificate, where the moose will go to live. And if there is nowhere to take the animal, they simply won't allow you to buy it," says Arthur.
But life brought a surprise – people themselves began to bring wounded little moose calves found in the forest to Arthur Maliev's estate. Artur Maliev and his wife Anastasia, also an equestrian coach, live and work at Konakovsky stables in the Tver region. The owner of these stables is Arthur's father, businessman Boris Maliev.
"If a calf spent one night without its mother, got hypothermia, nothing will save it. Sometimes people foolishly grab a calf and drag it out of the woods. Although mom goes out to eat for 3-4 hours, no more. Moose calves usually lie in one place and wait for her. If a person grabbed a calf and carried it out of the forest, there is no point in carrying it back. I would like people to know this," Artur Maliev continues.
According to him, if a calf is found, you need to call the Ministry of Natural Resources in your area, and not grab it in your arms. Specialists should help and correctly assess the situation, whether it is possible to remove an animal from its habitat.
Arthur feeds and cares for his moose calves himself, so the animals are practically tame. They perceive their breadwinner exclusively as a mother. There is a forest a few kilometers from the stables. Arthur takes his "herd" of moose from his small shelter there every day. The zookeeper wants to take this forest for a long-term lease or buy it out in order to create such conditions there that the moose will feel like in the wild.
"I plan to create a small farm where several moose families will live and reproduce the population. When I have moose milk freely available, I think in two years, I will be able to feed orphaned babies without risking their lives. Unfortunately, not all moose calves are able to survive the loss of their mother and irreplaceable nutrition. One month is enough for them to get stronger," Arthur shares his ideas.
Arthur plans to feed the moose calves for up to 4-5 months, transfer the females to the Kostroma moose farm, and prepare the males for release into nature. In order for moose to live without humans, it is necessary to build a special aviary, although very large, where there will be no contact with people, especially during feeding.
Now Arthur conducts excursions in his sanctuary. He teaches communication with wild animals, and spends the proceeds on the maintenance of a moose family and the implementation of a project to create a large natural aviary in the forest with a fence. According to him, moose are gentle and amazing animals that need complex care and medical care, as a huge number of them die every year from the actions of poachers and the carelessness of people.