Welcome to virtual Petola! Petola is a story corner and photo gallery of the Suurpedot.fi-website, but also a visitor centre in Kuhmo, maintained by Metsähallitus. The Kuhmo Visitor Centre Petola with its enchanting exhibitions is worth a visit when you want to learn more about the large carnivores of Finland.
Humans and large carnivores have always lived side by side in Finland. Attitudes towards predators vary from positive to negative. The myths and legends associated with large carnivores as well as ongoing dialogue about them have influenced attitudes and contributed to inciting fear of these animals.
In fables bears are sometimes depicted as the wisest and bravest of all beings, and other times they are merely dumb and plump. The wolf is often shown as a cruel beast. Even though the lynx is considered one of the most beautiful animals among the Finnish fauna, there aren't as many stories or beliefs about it as there are about the bear and the wolf. The wolverine is the least known of our large carnivores. It has been considered an evildoer in reindeer country, but elsewhere in Finland there aren't many stories or fables that feature the wolverine.
Predators are well represented in arts and crafts
Bear. Photo: Eeva Pulkkinen.
Attitudes towards predators have always varied by species. The wise bear has been respected throughout the ages while people have rarely had anything good to say about the cruel wolf. Even though the world has changed, these ancient attitudes are still present in people's minds today. Rread a history of attitudes toward predators.
Large carnivores and their relationships with humans are depicted in a wide variety of books, films, music, dance and other forms of art. Predators have also inspired different kinds of craftsmen and craftswomen in various ways. Read about large carnivores in arts.
Find photographs and videos of large carnivores and there way of living in different times of year in the Gallery.
Attitudes towards predators have always varied by species. The wise bear has been respected throughout the ages while people have rarely had anything good to say about the cruel wolf. Even though the world has changed, these ancient attitudes are still present in people's minds today.
There are four large carnivore species in Finland, all belonging to different families. The lynx is a feline, the wolf is a canine, the brown bear is from the family Ursus and the wolverine is from the family of weasels. They have been classified as large carnivores based on their size and behaviour...
Large carnivores have always interested humans. Their large size and noticeable presence have both caused concern and sparked our interest. They are social and warm-blooded mammals, just like us, if only a bit hairier. They compete for the same food sources as us and they can be a potential threat t...
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has approved the updated Management Plan for the Bear Population in Finland. The Management Plan is a key element of the policy on large carnivores and the management of their populations.