Ähtäri zoo animals

All photos in this article I filmed in October 2024.

Why choose Ähtäri Zoo?

Ähtäri Zoo perfectly combines experience, education, and respect for nature. If you stay overnight at the hotel, you can admire the forest’s silence and the star-filled sky from your own balcony.

Autumn in Inha and Ähtäri also provides wonderful opportunities for photography – landscapes, wildlife, and nature shots alike.

In summer, you’ll find a cosy café along the route, and picnic spots are available year-round for a relaxing break surrounded by nature.

Your Zoo ticket also includes access to the nostalgic Ähtäri Zoo Farm — a lovely journey into the past. There are a few designated disabled parking spaces available right by the main entrance.

MORE TO EXPERIENCE
Ähtäri Zoo is part of a larger travel area surrounded by scenic forests and Lake Hankavesi.

In 2003 the Korkeasaari Zoo in Helsinki gifted snow leopards to Ähtäri Zoo for their 30th year anniversary.

The traditional Ostrobothnian farmhouse and its outbuildings create a unique rural atmosphere. The forests of Inha glow in vivid autumn hues – red, orange, and gold. At the same time, visitors can also encounter rare guests from around the world, such as the snow leopard from the Himalayas, symbolizing international cooperation in wildlife conservation.

An authentic nature experience in Inha – more than just a zoo

A visit to Ähtäri Zoo, located in the village of Inha, feels less like a typical zoo trip and more like a tranquil walk through a Finnish forest.

You can check train timetables and buy your tickets in advance at www.vr.fi.

By bus
The closest bus stop is about 1.2 kilometres from the entrance, located along Highway 18 between Inha and Myllymäki.

ACCESSIBILITY
Ähtäri Zoo, the Farm, and the Panda House are all accessible for visitors with mobility challenges. After their departure, the Panda House was renamed Nature House Mesitassu and now focuses on endangered species and environmental education.

Farm life – a slice of Finnish countryside

Next to the zoo lies a traditional farm, “Farmi,” where visitors can meet familiar residents of the Finnish countryside: cows, sheep, goats, ponies, and hens, among others.

During this time, the animals’ well-being is being carefully maintained by the non-profit association Vieraile ja Välität ry. Watch my video of the lovely tour in Ähtäri Zoo in summer 2025 –

Join me for a tour in Ähtäri Zoo in summer 2025 – it is one of Finland’s most beloved wildlife destinations!
Located in the heart of natural Lakeland Finland, Ähtäri Zoo has long been admired for its serene setting, where visitors can see animals in spacious enclosures surrounded by native forests and lakes.

From Ähtäri town centre, the zoo is only 7 kilometres away.

By car
When you arrive in Ähtäri, just follow the signs marked “Eläinpuisto” (Zoo). Visitors can choose between a one-day ticket or a two-day pass, which allows entry on both days during regular opening hours.

The zoo trail introduces you to animals from the northern hemisphere while you enjoy the calm and beauty of Finnish nature.

The address is Karhunkierros 150, 63920 Ähtäri.
Distances: Seinäjoki 80 km (about 1 hour), Jyväskylä 120 km (1.5 hours), Tampere 140 km (2 hours), and Helsinki 300 km (around 4 hours). It’s ideal for anyone wishing to experience Finnish nature up close – without a long trek into the wilderness or a national park. The 60-hectare (150-acre) area, in which the terrain and vegetation vary widely, has provided excellent opportunities to implement EAZAs basic ideas about how to treat animals in captivity.

Children can learn how milk was produced before modern milking machines, and adults often find themselves immersed in nostalgia, recalling rural memories from their own childhoods.

Many stop to pet a gentle cow or feed the goats – simple yet deeply touching moments that remind us of our connection to animals and the land that sustains us.

Hotel Mesikämmen – accommodation by the lake

Right next to Ähtäri Zoo stands the legendary Hotel Mesikämmen, a destination in its own right.

In 2025, Ähtäri remains a symbol of care for nature and wildlife — even as it faces a new and challenging chapter in its history. The snow leopard, a majestic rarity from the Himalayan mountains, is among the park’s most enchanting sights.

Ähtäri’s former residents, the panda pair Lumi and Pyry, brought the park global attention and reminded visitors of the importance of conservation.

The zoo has also played an important role in wildlife conservation and environmental education, inspiring generations to care for animals and nature.

However, in 2025, Ähtäri Zoo entered a period of transition after being filed for bankruptcy.