Helsinki Zoo Korkeasaari Zoo, Helsinki

[Platypusboy]

I meant that in the plans they have only mentioned alpine ibexes for the mountain enclosures near the boat dock. Which I think would not be smart to get rid of two endangered species for alpine ibexes. They couldn’t move the markhor and urial to the Asian Himalayan area since that area is pretty flat and already full of species.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I meant that in the plans they have only mentioned alpine ibexes for the mountain enclosures near the boat dock. Which I think would not be smart to get rid of two endangered species for alpine ibexes. They couldn’t move the markhor and urial to the Asian Himalayan area since that area is pretty flat and already full of species.

Agreed.

 

[Platypusboy]

The bearded vultures have gotten another chick!

Korkeasaaren partakorppikotkat yllättivät iloisesti: pesintä onnistui tänäkin keväänä

 

[Platypusboy]

Updates from today

- The gift shop that has been previously empty is now full of merchandise again but still not open

- Lots of the “no winter maintenance” signs preventing you from going to certain places have been removed (otter enclosure, monkey and bear castles)

- The bears were outside for the first time this year (for me of course)

- Lots of owls were in different places. The Tawny owls were in the boreal owl aviary, the boreal owl was in one of the borealia house outdoor aviaries and the hawk owls were in the tawny owl aviary.

- the grass snake has left the collection

 

[Platypusboy]

And a couple other things I forgot to mention about the borealia house

- some of the male ruffs are starting to get their breeding plumage

- lots of new plants have been planted and the house now has a real spring feel to it.

 

[Platypusboy]

@aeemeli do you have any idea when the hämärä house is opening?

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

The bearded vultures have gotten another chick!

Korkeasaaren partakorppikotkat yllättivät iloisesti: pesintä onnistui tänäkin keväänä

The second chick for this pair - 8 year old male and 25 year old female.
Sometimes a change of partners works well ....

 

[Aramar]

@aeemeli do you have any idea when the hämärä house is opening?

I was today at the zoo and it was open. The leopard gecko has moved to the Africasia house and the fennec foxes (or fox, I'm not sure how many they have now) were hidding today, so the only animal I could saw was the snake. It think this building is sadly underused.

My visit today was great, with lots of animals being very active. I was very lucky with the lynx and wolverine, both very easy to spot today very close next to the fence. Also the owls were active and I saw the two black lemurs and the agoutis very active too. I had never seen that enclosure so alive.

The bearded vulture was in the nest, taking care of the baby (the chick can't be seen yet).

I only saw one Steller's sea eagle. What has happened to the other one?

And one last thing. Does the zoo really have a margay? I have never seen it

 

[Platypusboy]

I was today at the zoo and it was open. The leopard gecko has moved to the Africasia house and the fennec foxes (or fox, I'm not sure how many they have now) were hidding today, so the only animal I could saw was the snake. It think this building is sadly underused.

My visit today was great, with lots of animals being very active. I was very lucky with the lynx and wolverine, both very easy to spot today very close next to the fence. Also the owls were active and I saw the two black lemurs and the agoutis very active too. I had never seen that enclosure so alive.

The bearded vulture was in the nest, taking care of the baby (the chick can't be seen yet).

I only saw one Steller's sea eagle. What has happened to the other one?

And one last thing. Does the zoo really have a margay? I have never seen it

Glad to hear the hämärä house is open and I’ll probably visit it this or next week again.

I had the same problem with the steller’s sea eagle last week but just as I was about to give up I saw it at the top of the aviary hiding.

The margay I think is just extremely shy and I have also never seen it. Maybe it is more active during the night when the zoo isn’t open. One story I heard was that a photographer went there for two weeks just to get a good picture of it.

 

[Aramar]

I just saw in one of the Instagram stories shared by the zoo from their visitors that there are currently two fennec foxes in the park. I thought there was only one left. Have they received a new one?

 

[Platypusboy]

I just saw in one of the Instagram stories shared by the zoo from their visitors that there are currently two fennec foxes in the park. I thought there was only one left. Have they received a new one?

On their website it only mentions one so either the websites outdated or it’s an error in the Instagram story.

 

[Aramar]

On their website it only mentions one so either the websites outdated or it’s an error in the Instagram story.

The picture clearly showed two of them, so probably the website is outdated then (or someone posted an old picture to pretend they were visiting the park )

 

[Platypusboy]

The picture clearly showed two of them, so probably the website is outdated then (or someone posted an old picture to pretend they were visiting the park )

In past there was two individuals so it’s definitely possible it was an old picture

 

[aeemeli]

In past there was two individuals so it’s definitely possible it was an old picture

Nope, it was a new photo. Right new we have two fennecs, a female and its male cub (tho its already an adult). We're waiting for a new male, when it arrives the cub will move to a new home. This way the female doesn't have to be all alone while waiting for a new mate

And few weeks ago we also received a male wolverine from Brno. Pinja (the female) and him will meet during the summer, but for now they take turns at the exhibit and the back area. So every other day you can see Pinja, and every other day the male.

I only saw one Steller's sea eagle. What has happened to the other one?

The Steller's sea eagles are nesting, so the female is most likely sitting in the nest and thus not easily visible.

 

[JurassicMax]

Nope, it was a new photo. Right new we have two fennecs, a female and its male cub (tho its already an adult). We're waiting for a new male, when it arrives the cub will move to a new home. This way the female doesn't have to be all alone while waiting for a new mate

And few weeks ago we also received a male wolverine from Brno. Pinja (the female) and him will meet during the summer, but for now they take turns at the exhibit and the back area. So every other day you can see Pinja, and every other day the male.


The Steller's sea eagles are nesting, so the female is most likely sitting in the nest and thus not easily visible.

According to a recent instagram post, the male named Vasil came from Zoo d'Amnéville.

Source:
Instagram of Korkeasaari Zoo (11/05/2022) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdauCjHqBzh/

 

[Platypusboy]

A new red panda female Salija arrived from a French zoo this spring, plus according to the picture gallery, there might be a new reindeer fawn.

 

[Aramar]

A new red panda female Salija arrived Hop from a French zoo this spring, plus according to the picture gallery, there might be a new reindeer fawn.

Yes, they posted on Facebook that the first reindeer of the season was born last weekend. Hopefully there are more on the way

They usually post first the news on Twitter and Facebook, and then a few days later on Instagram, probably because they translate into English for Instragram and therefore need more time.

 

[Platypusboy]

First goitered gazelle birth!

Kuhertajagaselleille odotetaan lisää vasoja – ensimmäinen jo emonsa hoidossa

This is a very important birth since according to the zoos website Korkeasaari zoo is one of only three European zoos that have breeding herds. Although I'm a bit sceptical since on zootierliste two other zoos have over ten and two others have over five (different genders). But who knows, maybe the smaller herds are non breeding.

 

[lintworm]

First goitered gazelle birth!

Kuhertajagaselleille odotetaan lisää vasoja – ensimmäinen jo emonsa hoidossa

This is a very important birth since according to the zoos website Korkeasaari zoo is one of only three European zoos that have breeding herds. Although I'm a bit sceptical since on zootierliste two other zoos have over ten and two others have over five (different genders). But who knows, maybe the smaller herds are non breeding.

Karlsruhe and Goerlitz breed this species yearly too (which will be the zoos alluded to), but Safaripark Beekse Bergen also has had some births in recent years, so not completely correct. But this species really is hanging on by a thread by now in Europe, if not for Karlsruhe and Helsinki it would have been lost already...

 

[Aramar]

Hello! One question, do you know which animals used to be kept in the fennec fox house on the habitats you see first when entering the house? They have been empty for the last two years. It seems to me that the building is underused with one snake and the foxes only.