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The receiver in charge of Ähtäri Zoo's bankrupt estate has sold the facility’s properties and land to the Vieraile ja välität (translated into English as 'Visit and Care') association, which is made up of the zoo's current and former employees. The agreed sale price is one euro plus value added tax of 25.5 percent. Ähtäri municipal council, which held a 99 percent stake in the zoo, approved the deal at a meeting last Friday. The sale means the association can continue caring for the animals on the premises of the former zoo, as the deal includes the lease on the facility's land and properties as well as all its machines, equipment and vehicles. Ähtäri Zoo Ltd filed for bankruptcy earlier this month after years of financial struggles. The facility was once home to Lumi and Pyry, two giant pandas leased by the Chinese government to the zoo in 2018 amid much fanfare and talk of "panda diplomacy". However, the costs of housing and feeding the pandas became too much for the zoo, especially as visitor numbers did not meet expectations, and a decision was made last year to send Lumi and Pyry back to China. The Vieraile ja välität association was founded in 2019, a year after the pandas arrived at the facility in South Ostrobothnia. The association's aim was to provide a safety net in case the zoo ran into financial difficulties, and to ensure that animal conservation and research could continue in the event of, for example, the facility's bankruptcy. Although the association has taken on responsibility for taking care of the animals, it is not a business venture and therefore the doors of the zoo will remain closed to the public, aside from occasional visits or open days. Yle News' All Points North podcast visited Ähtäri Zoo last year, just before Lumi and Pyry departed for China. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
