Welcome to the Finnish nature
Unlike many zoos, ours is a park surrounded by natural forest. The Zoo has offered experiences within the nature and animals for 50 years. Ähtäri Zoo first opened its doors in June 17th of 1973. The first habitant of the park was an elk named Köpi, he later became the official mascot of the Zoo. Nowadays there are over 50 different species living in the park. The Zoo tour is perfect for a light hike, spending a day in the nature and enjoying the unique Finnish environment.
Three in one
Pandahouse
The most common starting point for the tour is the Pandahouse, there you can see our giant pandas Lumi and Pyry. There’s plenty of space to observe them, whether they are inside or outside. The pandas are relaxed animals that enjoy their new home in Ähtäri. You will most likely see them eating bambu, napping or playing around.
Zoo
The Zoo tour is done walking a path in the middle of a forest, it’s a walk that can easily be done with the whole family. At the same time you get to observe animals, that would be almost impossible to see on a normal walk. The whole tour is about 3km long (1.8miles), but there is also a shortcut. There are grilling and fire pit areas on the tour that can be used freely, as long as there’s no forest fire warning. There are also two cafes in the middle of the route that are open on summer season.
Farm
Our Farm time travels to the beginning of the 20th century to a typical Finnish family farm. There are ponies, sheep, goats, chickens, cows, bunnies, cats and a horse. There’s plenty to see from up close and get the feeling of farm fun.
Map of the Zoo
Here you can see the animals, restrooms, cafés and grilling spots on the tour.
Map of the whole area
In this map you can visualize the whole area including Hotel Mesikämmen, Ähtäri Zoo camping, parking areas and the train stop.
Since its beginning Ähtäri Zoo’s priority has been to create a natural environment for the animals living in the park and do long term work to protect the endangered species. The park’s 60 hectar area is a rich life zone with varying grounds. Due to this, it provides the perfect place to realize EAZA‘s (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) guidelines and achieve and maintain their highest standards of care and breeding of the species we keep. We are proud to be part of such an organization with goals of education, research and conservation, all to improve our understanding of animals, of how they live and interact.
