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The Zoo
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HELSINKI ZOO IN YEAR 2012
Jukka Salo
Zoo Director
Founded in 1889, Helsinki Zoo is one of the world's oldest zoos. Helsinki Zoo has developed into an active and memorable nature center renowned for its conservation work. The base of operations lies in the conservation of biodiversity, raising environmental awareness, customer focus and the well-being of animals.
The conservation of endangered animals seems to have been overshadowed by discussions concerning climate change. Nevertheless, the problems remain the same and there is no end at sight for nature's slow decay. Natural habitats are still shrinking. For example the cultivation biofuel raw material such as sugarcane invades the living space of those species that traditional farming has left alone. The slow but inevitable global warming challenges the survival of species in coral reef and permafrost areas and the mountainous and misty rain forests.
Zoos are a recognized and necessary link in the protection of living nature. Helsinki Zoo is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN Species Programme, in which over 7 000 experts follow the destinies of animal and plant species in the changing environment.
Regretfully often experts recommend the zoos to found new protection progammes for critically endangered species that are at the brink of extinction in the wild.
Together with the European (EAZA) and the World (WAZA) Zoo Associations Helsinki Zoo offers shelter to eg the amur leopard, whose wild population consists of only 30-ish individuals occupying a sliver of habitat in Russia along its border with China. The large parakeet, the blue-throated macaw, living in our Amazonia-house has only a couple of hundred members of it's sepcies left in the wild. We are eagerly waiting for our parakeets to start nesting in order to get the desperately wanted offspring. In the future we will be participating in the reintroduction to the wild of these wonderful birds.
Locally Helsinki Zoo helps the nature in a very practical manner. Annually we receive over 1 000 injured wild animals in need of help. In 2012 we will open a totally renovated wild animal rehabilitation center, where we can care for various hurt animals including the more unusual sea eagles and seals that require the special skills and knowhow that only we can provide. We also have the readiness to assist in case an oil spill nearby threatens our local bird population.
In 2012 Helsinki Zoo begins the execution of its ten-year programme. With the new programme we will be participating in the protection of the Baltic Sea, in nature projects in the Helsinki archipelago, begin the planning of the new Australia area and renovate the zoo's parks and greenspace while respecting the traditions of the old folkpark.
Next Spring visitors will be able to experience the new wonderful Butterfly Park next to Restaurant Pukki. The park will offer unforeseen flower splendor for the joy of both the butterflies and our visitors.
In 2012 Helsinki Zoo will be celebrating urban nature. Welcome!
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