– During our nearly two-hour guided tour in the park, visitors get to come very close to our moose, says James Gegg.
He owns and runs the moose park together with his brother Per and father Timothy. The family business also operates Byns Camping in Ekshärad, beautifully located by the shore of the Klarälven river. James’s mother is Swedish, and his father Timothy comes from Kent in England.
– My mother was born in Ekshärad and moved to Gothenburg early on. But the family has roots here going back 100 years. We still have a farm in Ekshärad that has been passed down for six generations. I spent a lot of time there as a child and therefore know the area very well.
James moved to London as an adult but returned to Sweden with his family in 2014.
– One day, I met the man who started the moose park in 2009. He told me he wanted to sell it, and I helped him manage it for a while. The following year, my father, brother, and I decided to buy it.
The moose in the park are born in captivity and therefore accustomed to humans.
– It is not allowed to capture wild moose and place them here. We must have a license to operate a park like this, and all our moose are registered in a national database. We even have our own industry association that collaborates. A wild moose can be dangerous, but here in Värmlands Moose Park, it’s perfectly safe to cuddle with the King of the Forest.
– Visitors get to meet our relaxed and gentle moose up close, touch them, and feed them. In a safe way. Then the guides, usually my brother Per and I, tell the story of this magnificent animal.
Standing next to a moose bull, feeling its impressive antlers, looking it in the eyes, and hearing it breathe is a magical experience!
James emphasizes:
– We absolutely do not want to replace the experience of seeing a wild moose in the forest. This is something different. A wonderful experience for families and curious tourists who want the opportunity to see a moose up close and learn more about the animal.
The tour in the moose park, which takes place on foot, lasts for an hour and 40 minutes. James proudly states:
– Our park has one of the highest rankings in Sweden.
A ten-minute drive from the moose park lies the family-owned Byns Camping and cabin village. Here, you have a view of the church in Ekshärad on the other side of the Klarälven river.
– A significant part of the camping’s identity is the canoes. We offer various canoe packages, ranging from one to five days. However, not guided ones. We also have one-day packages where canoe rental and a tour of the moose park are included.