Ähtäri zoo donates panda incubators to Ukraine

Incubators bought for hoped-for panda cubs at Ähtäri Zoo in Finland have been donated to Ukraine, Yle reports.

The equipment became unnecessary after the pandas left the zoo about two years ago. Marko Haapakoski, curator and chair of the Vieraile ja Välität association, said Ukraine was an obvious destination once the zoo began considering how the incubators could be put to use.

The incubators are already on their way to Ukraine, but Haapakoski does not know where they will be placed. He said they were designed for human infants from the outset. The association’s vice-chair, Tapio Peltomäki, and Haapakoski handed them to Tuulikki Kortteinen, who has coordinated donations to Ukraine throughout the war.

The equipment was originally bought as a precaution because giant pandas often have twins, while in the wild a mother cares for only one cub. Other animals born at the zoo are not expected to need the incubators.