Ahtari zoo recommended as location for Chinese pandas in Finland: media

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A zoo in Ahtari, west central Finland has won the country's recommendation as a location for Chinese pandas that could be possibly available for visitors in years, media reports said on Friday.

The other contender was an arctic animal zoo near Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The intention had been to give pandas a role in the Santa Clause activities in Lapland.

The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture said that the choice was based on the better preparedness of the Ahtari zoo in comparison with the northern Ranua zoo.

Representatives of the Ahtari zoo will travel to China in the new year along with representatives of the ministry.

Director of the winning Ahtari Zoo Mauno Leppakoski told national broadcaster Yle that production of the bamboo is being considered in Ahtari, but initial food for the pandas would be flown from China.

"That is not more difficult than to transport flowers," he said. Leppakoski underlined that the zoo will operate "on the conditions set by the pandas."

Representing the zoo in Ranua, Heikki Kontiosalo told Finnish radio that they could have combined the "two best known characters in the world" -- Santa Clause and pandas.

He said Chinese representatives had been interested in creating a connection between Santa Clause and pandas.

The Rovaniemi area is known in Finland as a hub for Santa Clause related touristic services.

It may take several years until pandas would possibly arrive in Finland. They could be in Finland on a lease basis.

The Ahtari zoo is the key tourist attraction in the town of Ahtari. The zoo has been operating for 40 years. Endit

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