Can't say I am all that surprised about this one: Cash-strapped Finnish zoo may have to return giant pandas to China And to think that certain members of the forum were recently insisting elsewhere that claims that the cost of giant pandas is a financial burden on a zoo in the long term were vile calumnies...
Ähtäri has a new baby takini! Father is from their own stock, Topi (born 2015). Mother is Ninja (born in Denmark and transferred to Finland in 2022).
European Bison Hector (born and raised in Ähtäri) will be part of rewilding initiative in Romania next year! The Zoo also opened a new European Bison enclosure!
Very sad about Jamal, they've had a lot of heartbreak over their snow leopards at Ähtäri over recent years.
Ähtäri Zoo has got a new male snowy owl from Kaunus, Lithuania. He is going to be paired with their own Tundra.
Ähtäri zoo announced that their male european bison, Hektor, will be part of a rewilding program in Romania at 2024.
Ähtäri announced that they will get a new male snow leopard next year. They did not enclose from where, but it sure will be exciting.
The zoo announced that they at the moment have no wolfs. Their last three wolfs have been euthanized at age of 15-years due to all of them having several age related issues. The decision was done after long discussions with the vets and zoo specialists. They were siblings and had spent their entire life together if I have understood correctly. It is unclear if they will have a new pack, but if reading between the lines their experience with the wolfs have been difficult, yet rewarding. Also indicating that they plan not to include new pack any time soon.
A young Finnish forest reindeer male, Laku, has been moved from Ähtäri to Riga as a part of EEP-Program. He'll have his own herd of females waiting for him.