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Legistlation and inspections

There are many laws and regulations that govern the day-to-day running of a zoo. Our activities are subject to regular inspections by the authorities and other experts. We, the people working at Korkeasaari Zoo, are responsible for ensuring that the animals are well cared for, taking into account the needs of both the individuals and species.

Legislation and supervisory authority

For a zoo to operate, it needs a license from the authorities. In Finland, a law called the Animal Welfare Act defines that zoos must promote the conservation of wild fauna and biodiversity, and participate in conservation research, training in conservation skills, exchange of conservation information, and the breeding and reintroduction of species. Korkeasaari Zoo’s activities fulfil all of the above. In addition to national legislation, zoos are also governed by the European Union’s Zoo Directive.

The operations of each Finnish zoo are supervised by the Finnish Food Authority, and the municipal veterinarian on its behalf. Because primates are kept at Korkeasaari Zoo, we are inspected twice a year. During the inspection, the animals, their conditions and feed storage facilities, among other things, are visually examined. In addition, the authorities oversee the zoo’s research activities and inspect new animal enclosures and verify that the species-specific requirements are met before the facilities are put into use. These requirements are laid down in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s decree on animal housing. The Safety and Chemicals Agency Tukes monitors the safety of the zoo’s visitors. The use of veterinary medicines used in the zoo is monitored by the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea.

The Wildlife Hospital also operates in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act. The law lays down a duty to help sick and injured wild animals. It states that the starting point for treatment must always be the return of a healthy animal to the wild after treatment. When the new Animal Welfare Act of 2023 was being prepared to replace the old law, Korkeasaari Zoo gave its opinion on the law about both zoo animals and injured wild animals: for example, we wanted the definition of zoo in the law to be clarified and the care of wild animals to be regulated more precisely.

Animal Welfare Act (in Finnish)
EU Zoos Directive

Inspections by the Zoo Community

Korkeasaari Zoo is one of the founding members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Today, EAZA has around 300 members. Members are committed to upholding the organisation’s ethical principles, environmental education, and conservation work. EAZA monitors the activities of its members through audits at least every 10 years, and the membership can be lost if activities do not meet the criteria. These inspections cover areas such as zoo staff, safety, finances, animal welfare, enclosures, and veterinary facilities and documentation. The organisation may also issue warnings and recommendations to its members based on things brought to its attention outside the inspections.

Korkeasaari Zoo is also a member of the Finnish Zoological Society. However, the association does not organise inspections for its members, as it is not an official organisation, but still requires its members to adhere to its ethical principles. To strengthen Nordic cooperation, Korkeasaari Zoo has also joined the Swedish Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (SDF), which includes around 20 member zoos in Sweden and Norway – And Korkeasaari Zoo in Finland. Like EAZA, the SDF monitors the activities of its members through regular inspections, which include a comprehensive review of the zoo’s operations.

EAZA
SDF
Watch a video of EAZA audit

Authorisations and certificates for animal transfers

In Finland, the ELY Centre grants derogations for the movement of, for example, protected species or samples taken from them. The ELY Centre is also responsible for obtaining permits for wild animals that have been exceptionally kept in a zoo, for example from the Wildlife Hospital. Certain animals classified as production species also require registration with the Finnish Food Authority.

When animals are moved from Finland to other countries, a TRACES certificate, i.e. an international health certificate, is required. The TRACES system is maintained by the European Commission and the certificate is issued by the City’s Veterinarian. Korkeasaari Zoo has been granted the status of an approved establishment by the EU, which means a high level of animal disease control. Transfers of animals between approved zoos are possible without the need for otherwise mandatory quarantine.

For many animals, international trade is governed by CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES lists tens of thousands of animal and plant species that are threatened or endangered as a result of trade. The species listed in the Convention are classified in three different appendices and require different permits, certificates, and import notifications. CITES applies to everyone: although zoos do not buy or sell animals between themselves, Korkeasaari Zoo must obtain permits under the Convention when transferring zooborn animals to other zoos. For example, simply sending animal reproductive cells or other samples requires the same permits and certificates. In addition to the CITES Convention, Finland also complies with European Union legislation, some of which is stricter than the CITES Convention.

Korkeasaari Zoo records all animal imports, exports, births and deaths in the Species360 ZIMS database, which also contains other individual-level information on animals, such as health records and relationships. ZIMS is used internationally as a database for both zoos and wildlife research institutions, and also contains the studbooks of numerous species in Europe and worldwide.

CITES
Species360