Korkeasaari

Brief Information

Korkeasaari did not appear out of nowhere: even before the zoo, the island was an urban leisure spot connected to Helsinki by ferry. So it is not just a collection of enclosures, but a zoo on a separate island, where the geography itself shapes the feeling of the place. Later, the Pukki restaurant opened here, and in 1889 the zoo was founded; its first animals were brown bears from Karelia, falcons, and peacocks.

The most powerful fact is connected with Korkeasaari’s symbol: the snow leopard. The first snow leopards appeared here at the end of the 19th century, and almost all individuals of this endangered species living in other zoos around the world are said to be descendants of the Helsinki line. After that, the zoo’s emblem reads not as a random image, but as a sign of Korkeasaari’s real contribution to preserving the species.

What to Notice Right Away

The layout of the zoo makes sense when read through its thematic zones. “Northern Rare Species” brings together rare Arctic animals, “Mongolian Plateau” presents steppe animals of Asia, and “Local Residents” is connected with mammals of the Scandinavian Peninsula. These names help visitors look not only at individual species, but also at how the zoo arranges animals by habitats and regions.

Separately, it is worth comparing “Cat Valley” and the two indoor pavilions, “Amazonia” and “Africasia.” In “Cat Valley,” felines of different sizes are placed side by side, from the wildcat to the Siberian tiger, with special attention to the Amur leopard. “Amazonia” and “Africasia” are connected by an underground passage: this link shows that part of Korkeasaari is arranged as a sequence of enclosed environments, not only as a walk through island sections. Another physical detail at the entrance is the pedestrian and bicycle bridge that connects Kalasatama and Mustikkamaa.