Live like a Smålander

Micke and Sune, Skullaryd Älgpark

Meet the king of the forest

Småland is one of Sweden´s most densly populated moose regions, but they are still difficult to spot in the wild!

Småland has one of the densest moose populations in Sweden, yet the big animals are still not easy to find in the wild. Visiting a moose park is a safe and fun way to get close to Sweden’s shy king of the forest. There are plenty of parks where you can take a ride in an open carriage and get up close and personal with the majestic giants. If you’d rather search the forest yourself, you can drive through the park at Smålandet Moose Safari in Markaryd in your own car.

Moose on the Loose

Erik Öster, Sweden’s youngest moose park owner, runs Skullaryd Moose Park in Eksjö. He dreamed of owning a moose park from when he was a young boy and the passion he has for the majestic creatures is obvious. The moose attend staff meetings (that’s what Erik calls their feeding times) twice a day – “It takes an hour to feed all the animals. It’s important to take time to bond with the animals and it gets very personal to feed them.”

The park is also home to Karl, a young moose that became a hit on social media when he moved in with Erik after being rejected by his mother. He quickly grew from an 11-kilo calf into a 250kg giant, devouring a total of 660 litres of milk. Today, you’ll find him in the moose park with the other stars of the show. While Karl is the only one that calls Erik ‘mum’, it’s easy to see that Erik cares deeply for all the animals at Skullaryd.

MOOSE PARKS IN SMÅLAND:

About 30,000 moose roam and rule the forests of Småland. In the region’s many moose parks, you can spot them from touching distance. • Elinge Älgpark, Ljungby • Laganland Älgpark, Lagan • Grönåsen Älg- och

Lantdjurspark, Kosta • Målilla Älgpark • Virum Älgpark, Vimmerby • Glasrikets Älgpark, Nybro • Skullaryd Älgpark, Nässjö • Smålandet Markaryds Älgsafari • Kosta Safaripark