Estonian farm near Narva grew into a petting zoo, starting with a single horse
The Rootsikalmu farm near Narva has grown into a petting zoo that began with its founder's love of horses. It is now home to various pets and wild species, including porcupine pups brought from Latvia.
A farm called Rootsikalmu near Narva, Estonia, has gradually developed into a petting zoo. Founder Julia Pirk says it all began with a childhood love of horses and a wish to own one herself.
The family originally lived in a city apartment while their horse was stabled in another town, meaning long trips just to visit the animal. After a family holiday at a similarly organized horse farm, where the surrounding paddocks could be seen from every window, the idea grew to create a place where the whole family and their animals could live together.
From pets to wild species
Once a suitable property was found, the farm began attracting not only horses and other domestic animals but also wild ones. Operating officially as a zoo requires approval from a designated official at Estonia's Environment Department, who inspects the housing conditions and can request changes, such as enlarging an enclosure that is too small before granting permission.
Some animals arrive because former owners can no longer keep them, which is why the zoo has taken in many rabbits. A raccoon named Tisha, however, came for a different reason: since raccoons have been classified as an invasive species in Estonia since 2016 and cannot be privately kept, the Environment Department permits such animals to be transferred between registered zoos.
Foxes, an alpaca, and porcupines from Latvia
The farm is now home to foxes, guinea pigs, chickens, horses, cows, and emus, once commonly mistaken for ostriches. An alpaca named Klepa also lives there — as a member of the camelid family, she may spit if displeased.
The most unusual and exotic residents are a pair of porcupines named Muffin and Bun, brought as babies from another zoo in Latvia. According to the owner, the animals are being trained to get used to human hands and contact, and the process has gone well so far, with a real bond forming between them and the staff.
