Emil the Elk: Austria's new star looking for companions!

Emil the Elk: Austria's new star looking for companions!

A young bull moose named Emil has been causing quite a stir in Austria for several weeks. The impressive four-legged friend, who presumably comes from Poland, has been moving through Lower Austria since mid-August, covering several hundred kilometers. Emil was first spotted in the Czech Republic, where he got his name, before crossing the border into Austria and now taking the hearts of Austrians by storm. Loud weekly paper Emil could be looking for fellow dogs, but he may have taken a wrong turn.

Emil's stages in Lower Austria are particularly noteworthy. He was spotted in Reintal, Mistelbach, Großkrut, Bisamberg, Korneuburg and Langenzersdorf, among others. At the Klosterneuburg lido he caused amazement when he splashed around in the Danube. Emil has now also achieved cult status on social media: his fan page has over 8,000 members who follow his exciting journey. The videos show Emil swimming and roaming villages, further fueling his popularity.

Support for Emil

The well-being of the moose is important to the people in the area. On the recommendation of the official veterinarian, the Judenau-Baumgarten volunteer fire department provided drinking water for Emil to help him in the summer heat. Wildlife experts report that Emil's behavior is typical of young bull moose that travel long distances during the mating season. However, there is no stable moose population in Austria, so his chances of finding a partner here are limited. Experts suspect that Emil could ultimately move to Poland or Germany, where moose also live in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The preference of moose

Moose are the largest and heaviest species of deer and are increasingly coming to Germany from Poland and the Czech Republic. They feed primarily on leaves, twigs, buds, bushes, herbs, grasses and tree bark. The antlers of bull elk play an important role in the mating season, which begins in autumn. Emil's journey not only caught the public's attention, but also prompted the police and the Vienna Wildlife Service to ask people to observe Emil from a safe distance to avoid panic.

Whether Emil will stay in Austria or move on remains uncertain. Fates similar to his own have already been documented, such as the tragic case of another moose that died in a traffic accident in Lower Austria in 2018. However, the exciting journey of the moose Emil and his interactions with people are a living example of the wonderful, if sometimes challenging, life of the wild animals in our environment MyDistrict reported.