(Halichoerus grypus) The grey seals of the Baltic Sea differ from those in the Atlantic. The Baltic Sea grey seals give birth to their pups on the ice in the winter. The pups of the Atlantic seals are born in the autumn on sand beaches. A grown-up grey seal can dive down to 100 metres to catch fish.
Order: | Seals (Pinnipedia) |
Family: | Earless seals (Phocidae) |
Weight: | Between 200 and 315 kilos (the male is bigger than the female) |
Life span: | Up to 46 years |
Mating period: | April-May |
Gestation period | 350 days |
Pups: | Are born on the ice in February-March the year after mating. The female gives birth to one pup, which she suckles for 3-4 weeks. It then gains weight by 2 kilos per day. |
All the predators can be found along the Predator Path. You are welcome to walk along the path or choose a guided train ride that takes about 35 minutes. The train runs during our Mid and Peak seasons.
Do not miss the opportunity to experience the animals up close. During our Peak and Mid seasons the animals are fed at:
12 pm - Seals
2 pm - Predators
3 pm - Seals
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Bears (Ursidae) |
Weight: | Males: Up to 350 kilograms (Sweden) Females: Up to 160 kilograms (Sweden) |
Life span: | 20 - 30 years |
Mating season: | May-June |
Gestation period: | 7–8 months, but the actual development of the fetus only takes 2-3 months, a so-called delayed implantation. |
Cubs: | 1-3 cubs (sometimes 4 or 5) are often born in January during hibernation in the winter den. |
(Alopex lagopus) In our country the arctic fox is linked to the bare mountain region. It is placed under protection since 1928, but the population is still only just under 100 animals. The arctic fox can be found all over the Arctic region and lives on the tundra, on drift-ice and on the bare mountains. There might be arctic foxes with both white and dark ("blue") winter fur in the same litter if the parents carry genes for both colour variants. In our country about one tenth of the arctic foxes are blue.
Order | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Canids (Canidae) |
Weight: | Normally 1.5-4 kilos |
Life span: | Up to 14 years |
Mating period: | March-June |
Gestation period: | 52 days |
Pups: | Are born in May- mid-July and there may be 1-13 pups in the same litter. |
(Halichoerus grypus) The grey seals of the Baltic Sea differ from those in the Atlantic. The Baltic Sea grey seals give birth to their pups on the ice in the winter. The pups of the Atlantic seals are born in the autumn on sand beaches. A grown-up grey seal can dive down to 100 metres to catch fish.
Order: | Seals (Pinnipedia) |
Family: | Earless seals (Phocidae) |
Weight: | Between 200 and 315 kilos (the male is bigger than the female) |
Life span: | Up to 46 years |
Mating period: | April-May |
Gestation period | 350 days |
Pups: | Are born on the ice in February-March the year after mating. The female gives birth to one pup, which she suckles for 3-4 weeks. It then gains weight by 2 kilos per day. |
(Gulo gulo) In our country the wolverine lives in the alpine areas and in the nearby forests. It was placed under protection in 1969 when the population of wolverines was pushed back into the alpine regions of the County of Norrbotten. Today the population is estimated to a couple of hundred animals. The wolverine has a circumpolar distribution, i.e. it lives in the alpine and tundra areas and in the northern part of the taiga (the pine forest) in Europe, Asia and North America. During the main part of the year wolverines live alone in large territories. They dig out a lair in the snow. The cubs are blind at birth and have a white fur. They weigh about 100 grams.
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Weasels (Mustelidae) |
Weight: | Males : 20-30 kilos Females: 10-20 kilos |
Life span: | 15-18 years |
Mating period: | April-August, with a peak in June |
Gestation period: | 9-11 months after mating. However, wolverines have so-called delayed implantation, so the actual gestation period is only about two months. |
Cubs: | Are born in the winter (February-March) in the lair, in most cases 2-3 cubs. |
(Lynx lynx) The lynx has lived in Sweden since the Ice Age. Today there are probably over 1 000 lynx in Sweden. Lynx are divided into four species - Spanish lynx (Spain, Portugal), Canadian lynx (North America), Eurasian lynx (Europe and Asia) and Bobcat (North America). Its tail with a black tip and its head with white ear patches and eye borders are distinct "signal spots". The lynx also has scent glands on its cheeks and on its paws, supplementing its urine markings as scent sources. A grown-up lynx eats about one kilo of meat per day. In our country the lynx preys mainly on hares and roe deer, especially in the winter.
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Cats (Felidae) |
Weight: | Males: 20-35 kilos Females: 15-25 kilos |
Life span: | Up to 20 years |
Mating period: | March-April |
Gestation period: | 68-70 days |
Kittens: | Are born in the lair in May-June. In most cases there are 2, but sometimes 3, which are blind at birth and weigh about 0.3 kilos. |
Lycksele Zoo participates in SAZA's conservation project for Lynx.
(Vulpes vulpes) The red fox is common all over our country. Due to fox scabies the population diminished severely in the 1980s , but today it is growing again. The red fox is very widely distributed over the northern hemisphere and lives in a variety of biotopes. It is a predator, but at the same time the most "omnivorous" animal in our country. A fox eats anything from blueberries and crops, via worms and bugs, to hares, voles, birds and even roe deer. Small rodents are its favourite dish. Red foxes may live alone, in couples or in small packs.
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Canids (Canidae) |
Weight: | Males 6-10 kilos Females 5-7 kilos |
Life span: | Up to 20 years |
Mating period: | January-March |
Gestation period: | 52-53 days |
Pups: | Are born in April-May, in most cases 3-6 pups, which are blind at birth. |
(Lutra lutra) The otter population has decreased in a disastrous way in our country since the 1950s, when it was common all over the country. Nowadays the otter is quite common in northern Sweden and in small scattered groups in southern Sweden. In the winter the male and the female live together, otherwise they live alone. In most cases the pups are born in May in our country. They weigh around 130 grams and are blind during the first two weeks. Usually they are two and suckled for two months, but they stay with their mother for a whole year.
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Weasels (Mustelidae) |
Weight: | Males 8-12 kilos Females: 6-8 kilos |
Life span: | Up to 18-20 years |
Mating period: | Probably two mating periods. March-April and possibly also during the summer. |
Gestation period: | 60 - 63 days. Possibly also so called delayed implantation. |
Pups: | In most cases 2, but can vary between 1 and 5. They become sexually mature after 2-3 years. |
(Canis lupus) The wolf was one of the first animals to migrate to Sweden after the Ice Age. 150 years ago it was spread all over the country. After intensive shooting the wolf was close to extinction in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1966 it was placed under protection in Sweden. Since the mid-1980s the number of wolves has slowly increased and at the beginning of the 2000s there were about 100 animals.
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Canids (Canidae) |
Weight: | Males: about 45 kilos (Sweden) Females: about 40 kilos (Sweden) |
Life span: | Up to 16 years, but in most cases they do not get much older than 10-12 years. |
Mating period: | December-April |
Gestation period: | About 63 days |
Pups: | Normally 2-8 pups in each litter |
All Cloven-hoofec animals can be found along the Cloven-hoofed Animal Path. You are welcome to walk along the path or choose a guided train ride that takes around 35 minutes. The train runs during our Mid and Peak seasons.
Do not miss the opportunity to experience the animals up close. During our Peak and Mid seasons the muskox are fed at 1 pm.
(Dama dama) The fallow deer originally comes from the Mediterranean area and was brought to Sweden as an animal in captivity. From the mid-1800s it can be found in the wild (liberated) in southern Sweden.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Deer (Cervidae) |
Weight: | Males (bucks): about 100-102 kilos Females (does): about 60-80 kilos |
Life span: | About 16 years |
Mating period: | October - November |
Gestation period: | About 230 days |
Fawns: | Are born in June, in most cases 1 fawn (sometimes 2) that are suckled for 8 months. |
(Cervus elaphus) The red deer has lived in the wild in Sweden since the Ice Age. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was close to becoming extinct in our country. Today the population is slowly increasing. They live mainly in the Province of Skåne. Usually the red deer also occurs in southern and in mid-Sweden and - on rare occasions - as far north as the coastal areas of northern Sweden. A grown-up male has antlers, which normally have three tines that are pointed forward. The upper tines form a "crown", which has given the deer its Swedish name: "crown deer".
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Deer (Cervidae) |
Weight: | Males (stags): about 250 kilos Females (hinds): about 120 kilos |
Life span: | About 30 years |
Mating period | September-October |
Gestation period: | About 235 days |
Fawns: | Are born in May-June, generally only 1 fawn, 2 on rare occasions. |
(Ovibos moschatus) The musk ox is the last of the big prehistoric animals. They used to live with mammoths and woolly rhinos during the last Ice Age - even in our country. The mammoth and the woolly rhino became extinct ages ago, but the musk ox still lives in the barren and cold tundra areas. The musk ox died out in Scandinavia 3 000 years ago. In the summer of 1971, though, a handful of musk oxen wandered from Norway into the Province of Härjedalen. In the mid-1980s there were about 35 animals. Its only natural enemy is the wolf. The grown-ups forms a tight ring (with their horns pointed outwards) around their calves when wolves attack. It is extremely difficult for the wolves to get past this "living wall" and kill the calves.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae) |
Weight: | 225-400 kilos (bulls are very much heavier than cows) |
Life span | More than 20 years |
Mating period: | July-August |
Gestation period: | 7 - 9 months |
Calves: | Are born in April-May |
(Rangifer tarandus) The reindeer is the only deer where both sexes grow antlers. The wild reindeer became extinct in our country in the 1800s. "Swedish" reindeer is now domesticated and herded by the Sámi. The reindeer is one of the most useful domestic animals. The Sámi word for the bull is 'sarv', and the cow is called 'vaja'. A castrated bull is called 'härk' and is used as a draught animal. The live reindeer is used as a draught and pack animal, and the cows can also be milked. Almost all parts of a slaughtered reindeer can become of use. Lichen of various kinds is the most important feed for reindeer, which are specially adapted to digest and assimilate the lean feed. In the summer their diet is increased with grass, herbs, leaves and mushrooms. In the winter reindeer can use their hooves to dig down (crater) through the snow cover to get to the ground-dwelling lichens. They also eat hanging lichens from trees. Wild reindeer occur all over the tundra areas of the northern hemisphere. In North America the reindeer is called Caribou.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Deer (Cervidae) |
Weight: | Males: 70-150 kilos Females: 40-100 kilos |
Life span: | About 20 years |
Mating period: | September-October |
Gestation period: | 8 months |
Calves: | Are born in May-June |
(Capreolus capreolus) The roe deer is our smallest deer. In the 1700s the roe deer was close to extinction in Sweden. It was preserved in the Province of Skåne, and since the 1850s the population has steadily grown.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Deer (Cervidae) |
Weight: | Males (bucks): 23-28 kilos Females (does): 20-26 kilos |
Life span: | About 15 years |
Mating period: | July-August |
Gestation period: | 9-10 months, but with delayed implantation. The fetus starts to develop about 5 months before birth. |
Fawns: | In most cases the doe gives birth to two fawns, which weigh 1.5-2.5 kilos at birth. |
(Rangifer tarandus fennicus) The reindeer is the only deer where both sexes grow antlers. The wild forest reindeer is a sub-species of the mountain reindeer and adapted for a life in the forest. It has considerably longer legs, broader hoofs and a smaller antler crown than the mountain reindeer. The wild reindeer became extinct in our country in the 1860s, and about 50 years later - in 1915 - it was placed under protection. "Swedish" reindeer are now domesticated and herded by the Sámi.
Order: | Even-toed angulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Deer (Cervidae) |
Weight: | Males (bull)(in Sámi: sarv): 180-200 kilos Females (cow)(in Sámi: vaja): 120-140 kilos |
Life span: | 15 years |
Mating period: | July-August |
Gestation period: | 9-10 months, but with delayed development of the fetus. The fetus begins to develop about 5 months before birth. |
Calves: | Born in May-June |
(Sus scrofa) Nowadays the wild boar is a fairly common animal in southern and middle Sweden. Omnivorous. Above all, it eats plant parts like roots and tubers, but also small rodents, insects, worms and carrion are part of the diet. Sturdy with a big head and short legs. The fur is dark greyish brown and coarse. The winter fur is thick and long-haired. The summer coat looks like "one-week-old stubble". The canine teeth of the males grow continuously and form dangerous tusks that are bent upwards. They can run at 50 kilometres/hour (ca 30 miles/h).
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Pigs (svidae) |
Weight: | Males (boars): Up to 175 kilos Females (sows): Up to 150 kilos |
Life span: | Usually up to 8 years (but up to 20 years may be possible) |
Mating period: | September-November |
Gestation period: | 4 months (115 days) |
Piglets: | The sows give birth to 3-8 piglets, whose colour is lighter brown with horizontal dark stripes. They stay with the sow until she is to have a new litter. |
(Bison bonasus) The wisent is a pure herd animal. The herd usually consists of 10-30 animals with an old bull as its leader. The wisent does not live in the wild in Sweden any more. It disappeared from southern Sweden just under 1 000 years ago. The wisent became totally extinct in the wild at the time of the 1st World War, but was saved thanks to the fifty or so animals that lived in eight zoos, one of which is in Sweden. Charachteristic for the bulls is the dark brown coat. The neck of a wisent is short and thick with a shoulder hump. The broad, short skull has a curly mop of hair on the forehead, a short beard on the chin and short horns that project outwards and then curve upwards and slightly forwards.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae) |
Weight: | Males (bulls): 800-900 kilos Females (cows): 500-600 kilos |
Life span: | More than 30 years |
Mating period: | August - September |
Gestation period: | 9-10 months |
Calves: | Are born in May-July |
(Alces alces) The elk is the biggest terrestrial mammal in our country. It is spread all over the country except for Gotland. In the last 20-30 years the elk population has increased very strongly, and today we have a population of 300 000 animals. There are many reasons for this increase, but the shooting regulations and larger amounts of feed due to new forestry methods (clear-felling) are the major ones. The bull has its largest antlers at the age of 7-10 years. Then they gradually become smaller. There are two types of antlers: palmate and cervine.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Deer (Cervidae) |
Weight: | Males (bulls): 320-450 kilos (in extreme cases up to 800 kilos) Females (cows): 275-375 kilos |
Life span | Up to 25 years |
Mating period: | September-October |
Gestation period: | About 8 months |
Calves: | Are born in May-June and weigh 8-15 kilos at birth. In most cases 1 or 2 calves, being suckled for 7-8 months. |
At Lycksele Zoo you can find the beaver, a primarily nocturnal, semi-aquatic large rodent. On the way to Lyckoland right after you have passed the seals, birds and otters you can find our beavers.
Do not miss the opportunity to experience the animals up close. During our Peak- and Mid seasons the seals are fed at 12pm and 3pm.
(Castor fiber) The beaver is known as a lumberjack and a master at building dams. It is the biggest rodent in the northern hemisphere. After having been endangered in many countries, it has recovered today thanks to extensive protection measures and reintroduction into their natural habitats. The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semiaquatic rodent that lives in lifelong partner relationships. It is an excellent swimmer, good at diving and it can stay under water for up to 15 minutes. The beaver digs in the embankment and uses branches and mud to build a hut with an underwater entrance. It can cut down trees with a diameter of up to 50 cm. The beaver eats a vegetable diet, beach vegetation, leaves, bark and soft tree parts.
The beaver's fur is brown and very dense. The coat protects the animal against supercooling. The beaver continously cleans its fur and rubs it with a greasy substance, castoreum. The beaver has webbed hind feet and a broad, scaly tail.
Order: | Rodents (Rodentia) |
Family: | Beavers (Castoridae) |
Weight: | 12-30 kilos |
Life span: | 15–20 years |
Mating period: | February-March |
Gestation period: | 15 weeks |
Kits: | 1–4 fully furred kits born in June. The kits have open eyes and can swim and dive after only a few days. They stay in the family for 2-3 years. |
Our domestic animals can be found in Children's zoo and its nearby area.
(Capra Hircus) The Jämtland goat is one of our Swedish native breeds. Its colours may vary. Goats can be kept for the milk and a good Jämtland goat can produce 300-400 kilos of milk per season.
The African dwarf goat comes from Africa, and for a long time it has been a popular breed in zoos because of its size and its pleasant temperament. It has short legs, a compact body and a small head. Its withers height is around 40 centimetres.
Order | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla). |
Family: | Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae). Subfamily: (Caprinae) |
Weight: | Jämtland goat, about 40 kilos, African dwarf goat, 20-30 kilos |
Life span: | Up to 25 years |
Gestation period: | About 5 months |
Kids: | 1-2 kids (in most cases 2) |
(Sus scrofa dom) Originates from the Eurasian wild boar. Man has bred various breeds.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Pigs (suidae) |
Weight: | The biggest domestic pig may weigh 450 kilos, miniature pig/potbellied pig up to 60 kilos |
Life span: | Normally 8 years (maximum 20 years) |
Gestation period: | 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days |
Piglets: | 4-12 piglets |
(Ovis aries) The Gotland sheep is one of our Swedish native breeds. A hardy breed that can be kept in open pasture throughout the year. Both sexes grow horns. The Gotland sheep has thin, fairly long legs. It was a great supplier of wool for frieze clothes in the Middle Ages, mentioned in scripts from 1292.
Order: | Even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) |
Family: | Hollow-horned animals (Bovidae) |
Weight: | Males (Ram): about 60-80 kilos Females (Ewe): about 40-55 kilos |
Life span: | 15 - 20 years |
Gestation period: | About 5 months |
Lambs: | 1-2 lambs |
(Equus caballus)
Order: | Odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla) |
Family: | Horses, donkeys and zebras (Equidae) |
(Gallus gallus) Our domestic chicken originates from the Red Junglefowl in south-east Asia: Gallus gallus. There are about 400 various breeds of chicken. The hens hatch on their eggs for three weeks and take care of their chicks for 8-10 weeks.
Swedish dwarf hens are particularly prone to brooding.
The Scanian "flower fowl" is our biggest Swedish native breed. It has got its name from the white feather tips forming "flowers" in its plumage which is often white-flowered on a brown bottom. Except for the flower fowl the zoo has the Bjurholm hen, a native breed from Bjurholm outside Umeå.
Order: | Gallinaceous birds (Galliformes) |
Family: | Pheasants (Phasanidae) |
Weight: | Flower fowl: Males (Cock):2,5-3,5 kilos, Females (Hen) 2-2,5 kilos Bjurholm hen: Males (Cock): 2 kilos, Females (Hen): 1,5 kilos |
Life span: | Normally up to 16 years |
Ruvningstid: | About 21 days |
Eggs: | The flower fowl eggs weigh 60 grams, beige-colors. The Bjurholm hens eggs weigh 45-50 grams |
(Mustela putorius) Exterior: Brown fur with paler sides. A pale head with darker markings above the eyes. Small ears with white edges, short legs. Its size is usually 30-45 cm, the tails 10-15 cm. The polecat occurs in Sweden up to the Province of Uppland. Common in Skåne. Mainly nocturnal. A bad climber, which sticks mainly to the ground in damp woods with glades. Prey: Mostly small rodents and frogs, but also birds, hares, lizards and insects. Also hunts in water.
Order: | Predators (Carnivora) |
Family: | Weasels (Mustelidae) |
Weight: | 500-1000 grams. The male is bigger than the female. |
Life span: | Up to 10 years |
Mating period | March-April |
Gestation period: | 40 days. Sexually mature at the age of 1 year. |
Kits: | 5-10 born in May-June |
(Oryctolagus cuniculus dom) Domestic rabbits are popular pets and occur in a great number of breeds. They are domesticated forms of the European wild rabbit and become sexually mature at the age of 3-4 months. Suckling period: about 6 weeks.
Order: | Hare animals (Lagomorpha) |
Family: | Hares (Leporidae) |
Weight: | 1-10 kilos, depending on breed. |
Life span: | Normally 6-8 years |
Gestation period: | 30-33 days |
Kits: | Are born hairless and blind with a birth weight of 30-80 grams. The dwarf rabbit breeds seldom and gets more than 5 kits, whereas the bigger breeds may get more than 10. |
Order: | Rodents (Rodentia) |
Suborder: | Hystricomorphal rodents (Hystricomorpha) |
Family: | Guinea pigs (Caviidae) |
Weight: | 900 grams - 1 kilo |
Life span: | Normally 5-7 years |
Gestation period: | About 70 days |
Pups: | 2-4, born well-developed with hair and eyesight. The pups are suckled for about 3 weeks and become sexually mature at the age of 4-5 weeks. |