Korkeasaari Zoo's Wildlife Hospital

{{Short description|Finland's largest treatment facility for injured or orphaned wild animals}}

{{Infobox organization

| native name = Korkeasaaren Villieläinsairaala

| native_name_lang = fi

| image = Siiliä ruokitaan Korkeasaaren Villieläinsairaalassa.jpg

| caption = Animalkeeper feeding a young hedgehog at the Wildlife Hospital.

| location_city = Helsinki

| location_country = Finland

| parent_organization = Korkeasaari Zoo

| website = https://korkeasaari.fi/villielainsairaala

}}

Korkeasaari Zoo's Wildlife Hospital is Finland's largest wildlife rehabilitation centre. It is located in Helsinki and run by non-profit foundation of Korkeasaari Zoo.{{cite news |title=Miltei kuusikymmentä pääskyä kenkälaatikoissa: kurkista, miltä näyttää Suomen suurimmassa villieläinten hoitolassa |url=https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000008140872.html |access-date=4 October 2023 |work=Ilta-Sanomat |date=26 July 2021 |language=fi}}

The Wildlife Hospital takes care of injured or orphaned Finnish wildlife with the aim to return the animals back to the wild in full health.{{Cite web |last= |date= |title=Korkeasaaren Villieläinsairaala |url=https://www.korkeasaari.fi/villielainsairaala/ |access-date=2020-03-02 |website=Korkeasaari |publisher= |language=en-US}} The Wildlife Hospital is not open to the public, but anyone can bring in patients by leaving them to the staff at Korkeasaari Zoo's gate.

Annually, over 1,000 animals in need of help are brought to the Wildlife Hospital.{{Cite web |last= |date=2012-01-04 |title=Korkeasaari saa uuden eläinhoitolan |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/korkeasaari_saa_uuden_elainhoitolan/5057142 |access-date=2012-07-16 |publisher=Yle}} About one-third of all patients are hedgehogs and squirrels, and half are birds.{{Cite web |date=2017-10-03 |title=SEY jakoi Vuoden Eläinsuojeluteko 2017 -palkinnon Korkeasaaren Villieläinsairaalalle |url=https://sey.fi/sey-jakoi-vuoden-elaeinsuojeluteko-2017-palkinnon-korkeasaaren-villielaeinsairaalalle/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=SEY Suomen eläinsuojelu |language=fi}} Around 40% of the patients get fully rehabilitated. The Wildlife Hospital does not take care of invasive species.{{Cite web |last= |date= |title=Korkeasaaren Villieläinsairaala |url=https://www.korkeasaari.fi/villielainsairaala/ |access-date=2020-03-02 |website=Korkeasaari |publisher= |language=en-US}}

Korkeasaari Zoo funds the operating costs of the Wildlife Hospital mainly from its own revenue, but it also gets support from the Finnish Ministry of Environment and private donors.{{Cite web |date=2018-04-01 |title=Tällaista on elämä Korkeasaaren villieläinsairaalassa – yli kolmannes eläinpotilaista saadaan hoidettua kuntoon |url=https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/tallaista-on-elama-korkeasaaren-villielainsairaalassa-yli-kolmannes-elainpotilaista-saadaan-hoidettua-kuntoon/6841614 |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=mtvuutiset.fi |language=fi}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |last4= |first4= |last5= |first5= |title=Tue Suomen luonnonvaraisia eläimiä! |url=https://www.korkeasaari.fi/suojelutyo/hankkeet/villielainsairaalan-tukeminen/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=Korkeasaari |language=fi}}

In 2017, the Wildlife Hospital got the Animal Conservation Act of the Year award from SEY Animal Welfare Finland.