Korkeasaari

Korkeasaari
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Full name	Korkeasaaren eläintarha
particularities	The zoo is located on an island off Helsinki
place	Mustikkamaanpolku 12 00270 Helsinki Finland
surface	23 hectares
opening	1889
Animal species	about 150
Individuals	approx. 766
Visitor numbers	approx. 500,000 per year
organization
Member of	EAZA IUCN WAZA
www.korkeasaari.fi

Korkeasaari seen from the mainland

Brown bear enclosure on Korkeasaari

Eurasian lynx on cork eagle

Korkeasaari ( Swedish Högholmen ) is an island in the Finnish capital Helsinki , which is home to the city 's zoo of the same name . With more than 500,000 visitors a year, Korkeasaari is one of Helsinki's most popular attractions. In addition to the animals, the location of the zoo on a beautiful island and the crossing there is an important part of the attraction of a visit to Korkeasaari. The zoo is one of the oldest in the world.

geography

The 22 hectare island is located about 1 km east of the peninsula on which Helsinki city center is located. It is wooded and characterized by the round humps typical of the area . The literal meaning of the name is High Island .

Korkeasaari is connected to the northern neighboring island of Mustikkamaa by a bridge , from where there is a connection to the mainland via the island of Kulosaari . This way, the zoo can be reached all year round, also by bus. In the summer season there are also two ferry connections with which the zoo can be reached directly from the market square and from Hakaniemi .

history

The island, which used to be used only sporadically, became a popular recreational area for the people of Helsinki in the 19th century. During the Crimean War it was converted into a restricted military area in 1855 and a powder depot was built, but ten years later the island was opened to the public again. Regular ferry services to the island have started and a restaurant, dance floor, carousel and other leisure facilities have been built. Animals were soon kept on the island, which eventually led to its conversion into a zoo in 1889.

zoo

Korkeasaari Zoo is the oldest and largest zoo in Finland, even if it is rather modest by international standards. About 150 animal species and hundreds of different plant species from all over the world are kept. In addition to native species such as wolf , bear or reindeer, there are also more exotic species such as kangaroos , emus , camels and lions . For the heraldic animal of the zoo, the snow leopard , in is the European Endangered Species Program and the studbook out.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Parkscout editorial team: Helsinki Zoo. Retrieved September 6, 2019 . 
2. ↑ Medialle Kuvapankki Tiedotteet, Kuvapankki, Tiedotteet: Frequently asked questions - Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved September 6, 2019 (American English). 
3. ↑ Medialle Kuvapankki Tiedotteet, Kuvapankki, Tiedotteet: Conservation work - Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved September 6, 2019 (American English). 
4. ↑ ^{a b} Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
5. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
6. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from October 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 

Web links

Commons : Korkeasaari  - collection of images

• Official website (Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian)

Coordinates: 60 ° 10 ′ 29 ″  N , 24 ° 59 ′ 1 ″  E