He rides in a bus, sleeps in front of the TV and loves oatmeal cookies. The story of the amazing friendship between Oleg and his deer

Five years ago, an injured fawn wandered into Oleg Protas’s farmstead with a flock of sheep. Taking pity on him, the farmer decided to keep the baby and nurse him, and named him Fedor. So he settled down on the farm: he became friends with horses, chases shepherd dogs and sometimes entertains foresters and mushroom pickers by “dancing” on his hind legs. One of these videos a couple of months ago received almost two million views on TIKTOK in one day, making Fedya the most famous inhabitant of Belarusian forests. Deer walk freely through Nalibokskaya Pushcha, sometimes disappearing for a whole day. But as soon as he hears the engine of the owner’s car, he immediately runs to the courtyard to meet his best friend.

We meet Oleg in Ivenets and together we drive towards the farm located in the very heart of Nalibokskaya Pushcha. The path to it is not short - about 30 kilometers along a snow-covered forest road. After about half an hour we find ourselves in a spacious yard with a small, neat house and several outbuildings. A shepherd dog, a couple of fluffy cats and... a deer immediately run out to meet the cars! Having patted him on the HEAD in a businesslike manner, Oleg explains:

- Fedya walks freely both in the yard and in the forest. But as soon as you hear the sound of the engine, he’s already right there, waiting for a treat.

The farm where we are located was inherited by our hero.

- Since childhood, I loved to come to the Pushcha to visit my grandparents. Helped with housework and mowed the grass. Grandfather always had horses and cows. Therefore, when I returned here, I also decided to breed them. Even though I live with my family in Ivenets, I come to the Pushcha almost every day. We are constantly building, finishing, reconstructing something. I plan to renovate the house and build another one on the site, a guest house,” Oleg talks about his plans for the near future.

The man did not come to agriculture right away. For some time he worked in the capital - he repaired equipment and was also the head of security. For almost seven years he led discos at the local House of Culture. This work , he admits, was to his liking, but still something pulled him to the Pushcha.

- It was interesting at the village club. In the summer, 300-400 people gathered at our discos. I liked the work, but I wanted something of my own.

When eight years ago our hero inherited a farm, he realized that this was the right time and decided to start farming. At that time, my grandparents only had a cow and a horse, but even they decided to sell them. In order for the farm to run, everything must be its own, Oleg is sure. We rented land and started a farm.

Oleg admits that there is always a lot of work on the farm. And nature adds it from time to time. It is necessary to sweep and remove, and when a lot of snow falls, the area must also be cleared so that it is possible to drive through and the animals can move comfortably. Even when talking with journalists, he takes a moment to feed the cows and water the horses - animals cannot wait, especially in cold weather.

Oleg’s farm is really huge: chickens, ducks, sheep, geese, cows, pigs, two horses. In the near future he plans to buy several more horses.

- I really like them. I have horses not so much for work, but for my soul. I harnessed them, trained them, rode them. In the field I work with machinery, I don’t involve horses. They follow me while I manage, so to speak, they help with their presence. In a couple of years there will be a lot of horses,” our hero admits with a smile, stroking the mare named Maya.

Oleg has three children. Diana is 20 years old, she is currently studying at a university. Ilya is 18, he is also a student. And the youngest, Ignat, is 16. In their free time, they help their father with the housework as best they can: while the daughter manages the house, the sons, together with Oleg, repair buildings or erect new ones.

- The farm, the forest, is peace and quiet. You are completely cut off from the world and left to your own devices. Whatever you want, you do. Even if someone goes to visit, then only by agreement, by calling or writing in advance. You can live and earn money on the farm. If necessary, a truck will come to you and a bus will pick up your children to school. But you need to work, and modern youth do not always want this. They dream of becoming fabulously rich overnight. But it won't work that way. You need to work on the farm both on Sunday and on New Year's Day . Then you will have something, the farmer is sure.

About five years ago, the already large farm of Oleg Protas was replenished with another resident - a fawn wandered onto the plot after joining a herd of sheep.

- As I remember now: Thursday, end of May. A gang of sheep was returning home, in the center of which I noticed a fawn. It was difficult to move; it was clear that the animal had something wrong with its musculoskeletal system. The first thing they did was move him away from the dogs - they were afraid they would attack him. They stroked it, examined it and began to think about what to do with it. The fawn squeaked and called for its mother, so in the evening they took it to the forest. But he came back. Second time

same reaction. We noticed that the dogs did not touch him at all, and decided to leave him. They named him Fedor and began to raise him like a little child: they played with him and fed him from a bottle. The cow's MILK was settled and filtered to reduce the fat content, says Oleg about the first weeks of his charge's life on the farm. - Even now, almost five years later, an incorrectly twisted hoof sometimes prevents Feda from moving. But as soon as you cut him off, he jumps over the fence and runs after the tractor. He's been running around - he'll lie down to rest. And when I return home from the field, he runs after me again.

Fedya's character is complex. He behaves diligently with Oleg, but if other people come to the farm, he may lightly pinch or bump into each other, showing who is boss. Sometimes he likes to go into the forest to chase mushroom and berry pickers. He heard voices or the noise of equipment in the forest, and immediately ran to “help.” This was the case in the fall, when he got into TikTok. The video with the deer received about two million views in just 24 hours.

- People came to pick mushrooms, and since it was not far from the farm, Fedya heard the sounds and went to see what was happening on his territory. That's how he managed and ended up on the Internet. The video clearly shows that he did not attack the woman, but simply “danced” near her a little, explains Oleg. - Fedya really is the boss here in the Pushcha, and a master with character. This is his forest, his territory.

The deer's relationship with other animals in the yard is good. The sheep usually don’t pay attention to him, the horses can sometimes drive them, but as for the cows, Fedya himself drives them. Caucasian Shepherds also accepted it from day one. With one of the dogs - Arik - he even played pranks at times.

- They always went to the forest in pairs. And then one day they ran to the foresters who were sawing trees, settled down next to the saws and did not let anyone near them. At first it was fun, but when it was time to get ready to go home, the foresters realized that they couldn’t cope on their own. They posted a photo where a dog is guarding saws, and my Fedor is nearby. I had to go to the rescue. The foresters already know him, he often comes to check their work. At first they were surprised, but now they accept him as one of their own,” says Oleg. - Fedor is not afraid of technology at all. One day he went to the collective farm fields, and his acquaintances

The farmers, recognizing him, called and asked to pick him up - they were afraid that he might get run over. People were shocked when, responding to the phrase “Fedya, here,” he calmly walked into the bus’s salon, and we drove home. When he grows up a little and calms down, maybe I’ll take him to Ivenets. For now, we only traveled with him through the Pushcha.

Fyodor always comes to the rescue of his friend, but sometimes his help is rather detrimental to Oleg. This happened when the deer decided to help in the garden beds.

- We tried to plant potatoes on the farm. Fyodor looked at her every now and then, but we drove him away from the beds. The potatoes started to grow, I even pickled them. But as soon as Fedya realized that there was something in the ground, he pounded on it until he dug up every last tuber. And having finished his “work” with us, he went to the neighbors. They had to unleash the dogs to ward off the uninvited guest. He ran home faster than ever, and when he returned, he looked at his neighbors for a long time, saying that they had insulted him there. “It seems wild, but not stupid,” Oleg notes with a smile, while the hero of the story stands quietly next to him,

begging for treats.

Funny things happen to Fedya all the time. Some, however, cost Oleg a pretty penny. He really likes to chew on wires - he has already ruined all the extension cords that he could find. And one day he even crawled under the hood and chewed through everything he could reach. There was also such a case: when Oleg left for Ivenets, a deer opened the front door of the house with its muzzle and settled down for the night on the carpet near the TV. The owner found him there when he arrived at the farm in the morning.

- If I go into the forest and call him, he will immediately come running. And he will walk as long as I do - five kilometers, and seven. He will never leave you in the forest. The little one went mushroom hunting with me, and walked so close that sometimes he could touch his leg. I was so afraid of getting lost. At first, as soon as I left, he started calling and squeaking. And after a year he became bolder and became freer. He studied the territory, leaves and comes himself. It may disappear for a day. Now he knows the forest better than me,” says Oleg Protas.

While Oleg and I were talking, wild drakes flew into the area, completely unafraid of people.

“They also want to eat,” our hero remarks.

I wonder how often you can see wild animals here on the farm.

- Wolves come constantly. Not far from our houses, a bear devastated several hives. Wild deer also entered the area. And one day I met a bison in the forest! At that moment I was working with a chainsaw, and he was not even afraid of the sound - he came out to meet me. The bison was big and old. From the reaction it became clear that he was not afraid of people. Most likely, he was once kept in an enclosure or had food delivered to him on a snowmobile. Therefore, the sounds were familiar to him.

One day, during the rut, a herd of deer approached the farm, and Fedya decided to go after them.

- I thought he wouldn’t come back. I was afraid that an adult male would get hooked on the horns and he would die. But no, he returned. Sometimes during the rut I myself managed to approach wild deer at a distance of 20 meters. Work clothes smell like animals, so they are not afraid and let you get close to them,” said Oleg. - It was interesting to watch Fedya’s interaction with adult deer when they wandered onto the site. And we concluded that he didn't even realize that he was the same. The theory was confirmed when he found himself in the house and saw his reflection in the mirror. Immediately he became alert and froze. The reaction was as if I had met a stranger. He thought he was like us. And from the mirror looked at him an animal that he had not met until that moment.

Watching Fedya, Oleg concluded that he copied many habits from people.

“It happens that you suddenly raise your arms, and the animal thinks that you are attacking, and also stands on its hind legs and may start kicking with its hooves. If you turn the other way and go about your business without paying attention to him, he also understands. So when the woman in the video started waving her arms, he thought he might be attacked and became defensive. If a wild animal attacked a person, there would be serious injuries. And he just “danced” next to him - he showed that he was taller, which means he was the master of the forest. It happens that he even behaves like this with me: he stands behind me and suddenly starts to rise, checking whether he is taller or not. In such situations, I hold him by the front leg, thereby explaining who is more important here. And Fedya understands everything.

All the animals on the farm have unusual names, which were invented by the owner himself. In addition to the deer Fedya, you can meet the shepherd dogs Eva and Alzhbeta, the horse Max and the mare Maya.

A five-year-old deer in the wild looks twice as big as Fedor. In a few years it will grow a little more, but will not reach the size of its relatives. This, according to our hero, is due to a developmental defect, as well as nutrition and relatively little physical activity: living surrounded by dogs, there is no need to run away from danger. In the wild, deer have to get their own food, but Fyodor prefers to receive treats from the hands of his owner. My favorites are oatmeal cookies and bagels. But Oleg is sure that in two or three years he will grow up a little. Deer mature up to 10 years, but in total they live on average about 30.

The temperature in the Pushcha feels different than in the city. In summer it is about five degrees warmer here, in winter it is the same amount colder. On one winter day several years ago, the thermometer dropped to minus 38 degrees.

Yulia GAVRILENKO,

photo by Tatyana MATUSEVICH,

newspaper "7 days".

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