Korkeasaari Zoo helps people find their herd

At the heart of the collaboration is the free Korkeasaari Frendie PRO app, which allows visitors to make new friends, get to know each other, make meeting arrangements and spend time together at the zoo surrounded by nature and animals.

“There are a lot of things going on in the world right now that feel distressing and overwhelming. We started to think about how we, as a zoo, could bring joy and hope into people's lives. Reducing loneliness among young people, in particular, became something we wanted to and could help with", says Lotta Kivalo, Communications Specialist at Korkeasaari Zoo.

According to the Finnish Red Cross Loneliness Barometer (2025), 19% of Finns experience loneliness at least once a week, and up to 35% feel lonely at least a few times a month.

“We wanted to find a way to combine biodiversity conservation and social responsibility in a way that affects people's daily lives", says Timo Kuusisto, CEO of Frendie.

Frendie's user data shows that nature, animals and sustainable values are strong unifying themes in the creation of new friendships. The collaboration now enables encounters and conversations around these themes to take place online and offline".

The partnership will officially start on 1^st of June 2025, when you can meet the Frendie team at the meeting point near the Pukki Restaurant from 2-6 p.m. Frendie takes also part in the summer evenings, when the zoo is open later than usual. The three summer evenings offer a much-wanted opportunity to visit the zoo at dusk. Korkeasaari Zoo is an official Frendie meeting place, where it is easy to come alone or together, as oneself.