The TV series “Korkeasaari” follows the work of animal keepers, veterinarians and other zoo professionals, giving viewers an insight into the many different roles and skills needed to care for animals and run a modern zoo.
From daily animal care and veterinary work to enrichment, training, gardening, maintenance and preparations for special events, there is always something happening on the zoo island. The series also takes viewers inside the Wildlife Hospital, where wild animals in need of help are treated and cared for before they can return to the wild.
Alongside the people who work at Korkeasaari, the animals are naturally at the heart of the series. The cameras capture births and growing young, new arrivals, unexpected challenges and the individual personalities of the animals living on the island.
The series premiered on Nelonen in autumn 2022, following the events of that summer over six episodes. Second season followed the next year with eight episodes, and third season in early 2025. Fourth season has also eight episodes, and is on air on Nelonen from mid-October 2026.
“Korkeasaari” is available to watch for free via the Ruutu streaming service within the EU. However, you need to be logged in to the service to watch it. The programme is in Finnish and does not have subtitles in other languages.
New episodes
The fourth season of the TV series premieres on Ruutu and Nelonen on Wednesday, 14 October! Episodes for the fourth season were filmed at Korkeasaari in spring and summer 2026.
Spring is the season of newborns, and in the fourth season we see the fennec foxes, wolverines and emperor tamarins having welcomed new offspring. At Korkeasaari Wildlife Hospital, the spring season gets underway with the arrival of underweight seal pups, a Ural owl that fell down a chimney, and squirrel babies in need of help. As summer approaches, the number of patients rises sharply, keeping the staff busy.
Previous seasons
Season 3, 2025
The third season of Korkeasaari TV series premiered in January 2025. The season shows what life is like on the island of animals as summer turns into autumn and winter begins to approach.
Guest stars include YouTuber Roni Bäck and familiar voices from Radio Rock’s Korporaatio. The programme was nominated for a 2025 Kultainen Venla award!
Season 2, 2023
The second season takes us into the heart of winter at Korkeasaari Zoo, where the bears wake from hibernation to play in the snow and Amur tiger cubs grow up. Spring brings joyful news of new animal babies, as well as quite a few seal pup patients to Korkeasaari Wildlife Hospital. Alongside the summer workers, we get to see everyday life at Korkeasaari from a fresh perspective.
The season explores what goes on at Korkeasaari Zoo during the winter and follows the changing seasons.
Season 1, 2022
The series premiered on Nelonen in autumn 2022 and followed events at Korkeasaari Zoo over six episodes during that summer. How is Sibiri, the Amur tiger, taught to show his teeth to an animal keeper? How does Pim Pim, the food-loving male red panda, react to his new girlfriend? And how does a young bearded vulture make the journey from the zoo back into the wild?
At the Wildlife Hospital, the first patients of spring include an underweight seal pup, a flying squirrel baby, and a hedgehog that woke from hibernation too early.
