At this year’s ZooPark fair, Mr. Maciej Gąsiorek, the owner of Animal-Farm from Krakow, presented animals such as the tricolor squirrel, the variable squirrel, wallaby bennett kangaroo, tundra reindeer (caribou), alpacas and Angora goats.
Where did the idea of breeding such animals come from?
Alpacas, fallow deer and ostriches have become very popular in Poland. On the other hand, kangaroos, reindeer and squirrels of various species, not only tricolor, are much less common. This may be due to ignorance and fear of breeding such species. It depends on what conditions we are able to create for them. We do not need any special conditions for breeding tricolor squirrels. An aviary in the garden is enough for them, because it tolerates our weather conditions very well. They come from Asia, so for the winter they need an unheated place, but sheltered from wind and rain, where the temperature is unlikely to fall below zero. Food is not difficult, because they eat seeds, fruit, but also locusts, powdery mildews and wood-eaters, they like to nibble on branches. Likewise, wallaby benneta kangaroos can function quite normally in subzero temperatures.
How to look after that kind of animals?
Man becomes responsible for every living thing he takes home. Domestic animals will not get food themselves, so whether Christmas or Friday we have to get up and water, feed, clean the aviary or the cage, because it is confined in a limited space and depends on people. Taking them home, we must provide them with appropriate care for, for example, our holiday trip. Pets should be bought responsibly, whether it’s a cat, dog, kangaroo or squirrel. Such an animal needs a human to live. If we decide on them, we are responsible for them.
Farm animals that have not known freedom for generations are bred in captivity and their world is a cage or fenced pasture. Squirrels, on the other hand, tend to sleep in one hollow, so when they get used to their aviary, we can open it and let the animals out, and they will return to the closed cage at night.
The passion for animals in the case of Mr. Maciej Gąsiorek passes from his grandfather to great-grandfather. You have to like it. There are many people who do it for profit or entertainment.
The Animal-Farm company can be found in Krakow, on the website animal-farm.pl or on Facebook, you can always call. – We will answer the questions as much as we are able to – says Mr. Maciej.
