Former farmer Karl-Åke Karlsson has been in the moose safari drive-thru business ever since he sold his domestic animals in the 1990s and got a moose. All tourists are requested to stay in the car. This rule does not apply to Karl-Åke. He is very much at one with the herd, and unlike you, he’s allowed to go up to them and pet them whenever he likes.
Karl-Åke has given most of his moose old-fashioned Swedish female names such as Marie-Louise, Hedvig, and Kerstin. “They accept me,” Karl-Åke says, “but it depends on their mood. If they turn their ears back and roll their eyes I know I should stay away.” Sounds wise. You don’t want to get on the grumpy side of these ginormous prehistoric-looking animals.
Welcome to the moose safari! Every year more than 20,000 visitors come to Markaryd to visit and steal the moose signs along the way. Hardly any of them are Swedish though. That would be silly since most of Sweden is a virtual moose safari anyway.
You can drive around the park with your own car, or you can go for a guided tour in this old German Tivoli train.
If you come to Markaryd, Karl-Åke will give you a 100% guarantee of seeing moose. It is impossible to go through the 15-hectare park without spotting at least one lovable, slightly aggressive, huge, gray mutt. Sometimes the moose will simply walk up to the vehicles and, if the window is open, stick their head in and look for food.
This is Karl the moose, the father of all the other moose in the park. His horns are short right now, because he just shed them. Since March they’ve been growing about one centimeter a day. They’ll be fully-grown come fall, and then he’ll shed them again next spring.
After the safari experience you can eat some delicious homemade waffles in the café, served on copies of the traditional moose warning road signs.
In the shop you can find all kinds of moose souvenirs. This is a snowstorm with moose in it.
More moose souvenirs. Fun fact: Karl-Åke’s son, who often mans the souvenir shop, is also named Karl! Karl-Åke Karlsson named both his first-born and his first moose Karl.
now i understand the "i brake for moose" bumperstickers. that moose wouldn't leave a dent, you'd leave a dent in it.
Posted by: turd to your mother | 11/08/2009 at 16:05
Moose handjobs. Now I've seen everything.
Posted by: The Host | 11/08/2009 at 16:12
i want a moose plate!
Posted by: hannah | 11/08/2009 at 16:23
swedish safari > african safari
Posted by: safaria | 11/08/2009 at 16:26
how come all the moose besides karl have girl names
Posted by: chick names | 11/08/2009 at 16:28
the waffles look really delicious
Posted by: din-din | 11/08/2009 at 16:30
It states he is the father of all the moose in the park. I think moose are like many other animals in that the dominant male will run off or kill other males. They probably remove the male offspring as soon as they can to avoid Karl from killing them.
Posted by: Tara | 11/08/2009 at 16:33
There is something characteristically Swedish about Karl's earnest interest in moose. Look at that first photo!!!!
Posted by: apt | 11/08/2009 at 17:47
dude, those moose loook hella dumb lookin. i bet alaskan moose are a lot more gangsta than these swedish fucks
Posted by: pho queen | 11/08/2009 at 19:42
sounds like moose heaven!
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