Saturday 14th July 2007 - Hardly in Vaasa, but Ähtäri is the location of the nearest zoo in the area, and at just over 160 kilometres is a comfortable there and back in a day. Parking is good, and entrance fees moderate. Smokers note that smoking is only allowed at a few specific points along the route. One of these is at a cafe and rest area about halfway along the 3km trail.
The weather was overcast, but that offered the bonus that most of the animals were not sleeping. Not all the exhibits were kind enough to allow photos, so here follows only a selection of those appearing before my camera.
Fallow Deer
This otter was very lively and difficult to catch on camera, but he was very aware of his audience and seemed to enjoy the attention. Their underwater activity can also be seen through glass.
This pair of European Bison were only willing to show me their rear ends. There enclosure is quite big, so a telephoto lens would have been helpful.
These Reindeer were very unafraid and pottered around only a short distance from the visitors. Rudolph of the red nose would have been proud of them.
This Wild Boar was in a very restful mood and only stood up in order to reposition his bottom more comfortably in the mud hole.
A pair of Elk relax.
A pair of Pine Martens sleeping.
Below are photos of some of the wolves in their large and highly secure area.
Brown Bears.
White-Tailed Deer
Arctic Fox
And absolutely nothing to do with Ähtäri Zoo, but close by is Finland's biggest 'Village Shop', owned and made famous by the Keskinen brothers. It's just a bit glitzy and Hollywood, but low prices and the sheer range of products makes it worth a visit on the way home to Vaasa.
The first picture is of the brothers' house (itself more like a castle), the second of the stone globe on the patio, and the third is of the 'Village Shop' entrance which effectively hides the enormous supermarket behind.
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