Why Finns are drawn to having domestic moose

Finns have it in their blood: Markku lives with his moose named Mervi, Mia keeps a dozen chickens in the office, and Inga sleeps with a domestic alpaca.

Traditionally, Finns were rural residents: the mass migration of the rural population to cities began only in the 1960s, and the rapid urbanization of Finland took only a dozen years. But although the Finns have radically changed their way of life, their relationship with nature, namely with animals, has remained the same.

Finnish photographer Aleksi Poutanen dedicated his project to the incredible love of his compatriots for nature, which is sometimes expressed in extreme forms. If you live in the city, why not get a pet python or decorate the house with a stuffed bear?

Before the Finns began to move to cities, they lived side by side with pets, and in the forests surrounding their homes, they often encountered wild animals. But even now, the inhabitants of the Country of Thousands of Lakes were able to preserve their unique relationships with animal friends and still take care of nature.