Arctic Wildlife Near Rovaniemi: Fur, Feathers, and Frost:

Lapland would not be that magical without the arctic wildlife, which you can encounter in your backyard, across the road or various places like Santa’s Village or Ranua Zoo. So from the very beginning we booked some of the best experiences, like Huskies or Reindeers Safaris.

Ranua Zoo, an arctic wildlife sanctuary

So after we enjoyed every moment up north in Sirkka, our first getaway after a well deserved rest in Rovaniemi at Jari’s place, we headed to Ranua Zoo as a day opener 80km away. We bought the tickets the night before, so no rush on that topic. Once there we parked our car, in a big car lot with plenty of spaces available, we hurried up to the main entrance since we were on a tight schedule having the Husky Safari around 2PM. The Zoo is very well maintained as you’d probably imagine with a handful of arctic species, the Polar Bear, Arctic Fox and Snowy Owl being the main attractions.

Along the way you have some places to heat up with a hot drink or just rest from the freezing outdoors. At a normal pace, you’ll be able to check all the creatures in under 2 hours without being in a hurry. After a short stop at the souvenir shop, where Clara is always a great customer, we concluded our visit with a promise that next time we will visit Ranua Zoo in the summer. From here we headed in a hurry to one of the most anticipated experiences, especially by Clara, the Husky Ride which was one hour away from the Zoo.

Animal Species	50 Arctic and northern species
Unique Feature	Home to Finland’s only polar bear.
Park Size	2.8 km walking route
Open Year-Round	Accessible in all seasons.

Meeting the Pack, The Husky Ride

Here we opted for the 5km / 30 mins ride. Besides ourselves there was also a Spanish family, 35 degrees away from Tenerife, so the perfect setup for a great experience. The owner was originally from France, came here with his family 15 years ago from Marseille. Great guy with a brilliant french accent and who told us that we are going to lead the sled … now that was a total surprise since i never read the terms and conditions on absolutely anything :). After a 15 minute learning session we were ready to hit the snow along with our loved ones and our assigned huskies. We learned how to turn and stop safely using force, our own weight and snow brakes. Even if we had pretty warm clothes i decided to put another layer over over since ill be standing and moving pretty fast, so Diana and Clara took a blanket made of leather and i opted for another polar jacket above the one i had but skipped the gloves recommended by …> One thing I’ve learned is that finger gloves are much worse than standard ones, at least when we are talking temperatures under 10 degrees without any movement.

During our ride, we had a pack of 6 huskies with us, we went into the forest with beautiful scenery and were guided in front by a Snowmobile. Right before the finish we had a photo stop, and then headed to their garage. Here they were let loose to play around and we had the chance to interact with them and pet them, Clara was very enthusiastic. Before leaving we were offered a cup of tea/chocolate and had a nice discussion about Global Warming which here seems more obvious than in other parts of the world. Thanked Jim again for the experience offered and wished him and his family Happy Holidays and good luck on his project with the Husky Farm.

Booking a Husky/Reindeer Ride

This recommendation is for December, if you plan to book a ride, husky or reindeer and have a child with you id recommend booking it at noon rather than in the morning at least for the longer ones 3/5 km which last about half an hour. Of course I may be wrong but most of the providers I’ve found, have rides in the morning around 9AM and at noon 2PM. Now it’s important what the cloud coverage is for your decision but if you book it in advance you have no idea how the weather will be so the option of 2PM sounded better for me because you’ll have more light for enjoying the surroundings and taking photos. At 9PM it’s pretty dark if there are clouds, and in 30 mins not too much will change, officially the sun rises at 10:30AM. Each one has its own schedule and provides different services, so be careful and ask these questions before you pay for it (id also recommend it book it in advance rather then search it over there):

Huskies embody the spirit of the Arctic: strong, loyal, and born to run.

How long is the ride, both distance (km) and time (minutes/hours) and what’s the sightseeing of your tour (woods, lake, open land etc)?
Do they have a farm of reindeer/husky where you can pet them and enjoy their presence around you in their own habitat?
Are you going to run the sled? I did the Husky ride, without knowing ill be doing that and it was a great experience i tell you 🙂?

The Map

After a busy day filled with fun in the animal kingdom, we made a stop on our way back to Santa’s Village for some hot tea and delicious salmon at Santa’s Salmon Place, a very cozy and authentic spot to enjoy quality time with your family.