Ähtäri Zoo is a 60-hectare (150-acre) zoo in Ähtäri, Finland that was opened in 1973. It is the second largest zoo in Finland. http://www.ahtarinelainpuisto.fi/suomeksi/Elainpuiston_elaimet The zoo this year has successfully bred 3 wolverine, 2 European brown bear and an unknown number of snow leopard. Romping, tumbling cubs charm visitors at Ähtäri zoo | Yle Uutiset | yle.fi
the parent snow leopards came from Korkeasaari Zoo (Helsinki) in 2003 for Ähtäri Zoo's 30th year anniversary. They have bred at Ähtäri at least once before (the following article is from 2006): meeting with a baby snow leopard | frans goes blog
Yesterday 0.1 Red panda arrived from Germany. This is a new species for the zoo and the second holding in Finland. Another Red panda will hopefully join later this season from ireland.
0.1 Snow leopard have arrived from Nordens Ark, Sweden. In the began of August a Snow leopard has left the park for Lithuania.
There are at least five such species; Snow leopard, Red panda, Takin, European bison and European mink. Here's a list of Ähtäri collection: Eläimet It's unfortunately only in finnish but there is a photo to help the identification.
There has been talks about getting a pair of Pandas from China to Ähtäri. Yes, there has been European mink in Finland but it's extinct. But as an invasive species there is the American mink and it is widely spread over Finland.
Ähtäri Zoo to receive giant pandas from China The news was confirmed yesterday after previous reports that the zoo would get pandas. I read somewhere that Ranua Zoo was also interested but nothing about Korkeasaari which would be a more conventional option for housing high profile animals like pandas. I find it very interesting that Ähtäri Zoo is firstly in a relatively remote location compared with many if not all other 'panda zoos' and that it is a collection which previously only had Nordic species before recently expanding into Asian animals like snow leopards and takins (from Helsinki) and red pandas. Reasons for Ähtäri Zoo's selection are given in the press release below:
Probably the best place for Giant pandas in Europe. If I see this terrible, futuristic plans for this round-about-exhibit at Copenhagen Zoo, I can shake only my head. Hopefully, the finnish people will make it better.
Animal rights activists have been worried about the pandas. They think there's no way to offer them bamboo here and that they're going to be the next Särkänniemi dolphins. Edit: Also, the usual "Finland is too cold" mantra.
This is such a confusing story. I find it really hard to imagine Ahtari can afford Giant Pandas. What are the annual visitor numbers?
Ahtari Zoo receiving Giant Pandas is probably one of the more bizarre zoo stories of the past quarter-century. An obscure Finnish zoo, miles from anywhere, is going to showcase the world's most popular species in its local zoo? The annual attendance is only 92,000 and that total is the same as some roadside menageries in the USA. There must be more to this story than meets the eye and I am curious as to how Ahtari pulled off this remarkable 15-year panda agreement.
