Diyana Kamaruza's Journal

                Let’s continue about the excitement of Zoo Korkeasaari.  There are a lot of animals in the zoo, but not all the animal is available in their cage. If you came during summer, you will see a lot of goose and seagull with their babies in the zoo. The Barnacle Goose will leave in autumn and return in spring, soon after they began breeding in the wild. You have to be very careful when walk because they might be a hidden place of Seagull with their babies, and the male seagull will attack you when you are near their nest. Usually, you will not notice there is a nest until you get attack by the male seagull.

Cat valley inhabitants of Helsinki Zoo are from different habitats in Europe and Asia. There are Asian lion, Amur tiger, Amur leopard, European wild cat, Pallas’s cat, Lynx, and Snow leopard. Some of the animals have been close to extinction and breeding in zoos is the only way to continue their offspring. If you visit a cat valley during a day, most of the animals are sleeping. This is because most of the cats are a nocturnal animal when they are sleeping during the day, and active during a night. To avoid the disappointed, visit the cat valley during an evening when they start to wake up and you will experience the roar of lion. Or you can come to the zoo during Cat’s Night event on 7 September 2012 & 14 September 2012 from 16 pm – 24 am.

Other animals that are interesting to find out in the Zoo are Red Panda, Lynx and Snowy Owl. When I saw a snowy owl, I don’t know why it reminds me Harry Potter’s owl names ‘Hedwig’ and it’s not only me.  I overheard some kids shouting and pointing finger at the owl, “Looks mum, its Hedwig!” Later, I visit Lynx cage and he just woke up and yawning. The Lynx is very cute with the black hair on the tips of the ears. Lynx is common in Finland, but because of hunting it become close to extinction in most European country.

 I always want to see a Red Panda because when last time I visit Ueno Zoo, Tokyo the Red Panda was hidden. This time I really want to see them.  When I arrived at the Red Panda cages, the cage is empty and open. You can come in the cage, but there is no Red Panda. Later, when I walk to other cage beside the Red Panda cage, there is an animals that looks like a Red Panda but hidden at the back of the cages. I return back to the empty cage to looks closer to the next cage.  I saw two Red Panda, the biggest one is lying on the tree and other one is hidden behind the bushes. Suddenly, the hidden Red Panda who are curious come closer to me at the fence. The bear stands at the fence quite a long time and it give me time to take the pictures.