Ähtäri (zoo)

On June 17, 1973, at the initiative of the mayor of the region Väino Yayakola, a zoo was opened in Ähtäri, and the first animal in the collection was an elk named Köpi. Later, the collection was replenished with wolves , lynx and brown bears .

In 2003, on the anniversary of the 30th anniversary of its foundation, the Helsinki Zoo Korkeasaari presented the Öhtäri zoo with snow leopard individuals, however, on May 1, 2019, the female snow leopard named Shila died during first birth ^[1] . Zoo intends to continue the program for the conservation of snow leopards.

The zoo together with the public organization ProAgria participates in the Bamboo for Panda program, which contributes to the protection and preservation of pandas ^[2] . The acquisition of a pair of large pandas from China to the zoo collection ^[3] contributed to the stabilization of the zoo's financial position and double the number of visitors ^[4] .

In 2006, the zoo contained 300 animals of 65 different species, including: brown bears , elks , wolves , lynxes , snow leopards , wolverines , foxes , otters , beavers , bison , wild boars , European roe deer , fallow deer , reindeer , white-tailed deer , white owls , owls , waterfowl .

• Ähtäri Zoo (Fin.) . The appeal date is July 7, 2016.