Korkeasaari island before the zoo
Korkeasaari was already used for recreation by Helsinki residents long before the zoo was established: in the 1500s, the Grand Duke of Finland Juhana decided that the island would become the property of Helsinki, and Korkeasaari became a popular recreational area. In the late 19th century, a restaurant operated on the island, but the use of spirits caused disturbances. To curb these, the city leased Korkeasaari on 1st of May 1883 to the Helsinki Liquor Company as a folkpark where the company would regulate the supply of alcohol and maintain order.
The company began construction and renovation work on the island. The restaurant building, designed by architect Theodor Höijer, was completed in 1884 – the building is still used as Restaurant Pukki. In the following years, an ferry passenger waiting room and a gardener’s apartment were completed. A garden and a stone exhibition were established on the island for educational purposes, and other activities such as a bowling alley were also located on the site. The Liquor Company also began planning a zoo to provide an uplifting pastime.
The early years of the zoo
Korkeasaari island wasn’t the only location that was considered when establishing the zoo. The Alppila region of Helsinki was also an option, and therefore a park called Eläintarha (Finnish for “zoo”) is still located there. However, the City Council rejected this proposal by one vote, and the original plan for Korkeasaari island as the site of the zoo was implemented in 1889.
Animals had been donated even before the official foundation year: the first arrivals were the bears Misha and Masha one year earlier. At that time, animals were still being bought and caught in the wild: a young polar bear, Finke, arrived to Korkeasaari in 1890 from the Arctic Ocean, and the following year a polar bear castle was built on the western shore of the island. The old bear castles made of stones were also completed in the following years.
Initially, the focus was on northern species, but tropical animals were also accepted if space was available. Monkeys and parrots that arrived on ships were donated to the zoo. A bronze statue of a goat was also donated to the zoo, originally purchased at the Paris World Fair the year Korkeasaari was founded, and it’s still standing in front of the Pukki Restaurant.
Moving towards modernisation
The zoo’s development was significantly slowed down by the wars, during which there were shortages of feed and supplies. After the Prohibition Act came into force, the Liquor Company was forced to give up the zoo completely in 1919 and it became the property of the City of Helsinki. It was decided to reserve Korkeasaari island entirely for zoo use.
The building now known as the Monkey Castle was completed in the 1930s, originally for the use of the lions, and initially there was a separate entrance fee to go see the lions inside. A new Bear Castle was built for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics and is still in use by the bears after renovations.
In the 1960s, the Zoo’s 75th anniversary celebrations saw the completion of the Cat Valley, which was home to endangered Amur tigers and snow leopards. Already in the same decade Korkeasaari gained reputation as a successful snow leopard breeder – at that time, the birth of snow leopard cubs and their survival was a very rare occurrence. The zoo’s animal care manager of the time also kept a studbook of the species until 2010. Today, the European studbooks for the markhor, European forest reindeer and snowy owl are kept at Korkeasaari.
The zoo started to be open for visitors all year round in 1974, when a bridge was built between Korkeasaari and Mustikkamaa islands. In the following decade, the Cat Valley was renovated, and after the mid-1990s, the Amazonia and Borealia houses were completed.
Korkeasaari Zoo was one of the founding members of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria EAZA in 1992, and is still actively involved in its activities. The association members’ joint conservation projects and campaigns have raised money for conservation work in the wild in animal habitats and raised awareness of the problems threatening species.
Since the 1990s, Korkeasaari Zoo has been involved in reintroduction projects both in Finland and internationally to strengthen the populations of endangered species by reintroducing zooborn animals to the wild. Korkeasaari Zoo has also always treated injured wild animals, and in 2006 a renovated Wildlife Hospital was opened.
From city ownership to a non-profit foundation
At the beginning of 2018, the Korkeasaari Zoo’s administrative form changed from an Division of the City of Helsinki to a non-profit foundation. As a foundation, Korkeasaari Zoo can participate more extensively in international cooperation and species conservation. The Foundation of Korkeasaari Zoo does not aim to make a financial profit, and the City of Helsinki continues to support the activities of Korkeasaari Zoo.
In more than a hundred years, the zoo has changed both its landscape and its activities. Perceptions of how animals are cared for or what kind of facilities and enrichment they need are completely different from when the zoo was founded. The old bear castles made of stone are no longer used as animal enclosures, but are still there to remind us of the history of the zoo. Throughout Europe, the construction of animal enclosures is now governed by animal welfare regulations and laws, and much scientific research on animal welfare is also carried out at Korkeasaari Zoo.
In the past, animals were bought into zoos, but nowadays the animals move between zoos as part of international conservation programmes. The Korkeasaari Zoo breeds endangered animals in partnership with other zoos involved in conservation to ensure the survival of the species, and animals are not taken from the wild without heavy reasoning. The number of animal species at Korkeasaari Zoo has been decreasing since the 1970s, with the aim of allowing the animals to have larger enclosures, and with a particular emphasis on species under conservation programmes.
Construction of the Crown Bridges began in late 2021, following a decision by the Helsinki City Council. Once completed, the bridges will form a connection from Hakaniemi to Kruunuvuorenranta for pedestrians, cyclists and trams. At the same time, Korkeasaari Zoo will have its own tram stop and the main entrance to the zoo will be moved from Mustikkamaa island to the Korkeasaari island.