Wild animals in Russian, Siberian and Central Asian households according to eighteenth-century travel reports

Abstract

Wild animals, such as mammals, birds and reptiles, have been kept in houses and nomadic tents for various purposes throughout historical times. At the same time, domestic animals such as horses and cattle have roamed freely in the forests and steppes of Russia, Siberia and Central Asia. In the late eighteenth century, European travellers explored the Russian Empire and kept wild animals in cages and baskets for scientific purposes. This comprehensive article discusses in detail the relationships between local peoples, scientists and wild and feral animals. Various functions of the animal resources are explored, especially the use of animals as tax payment, trade goods, food supply, pets and pest controllers, and for entertainment.