A faint mist rises from the bog and flows through the trees, filtering the rays of the morning sun. A bear strolls on its way and stops for a moment to take in the silence of the summer morning. It sits by the soft shrubbery and enjoys some plump and delicious blueberries – happily, it licks its lips…

Close-up of a bear’s face. The bear in the picture is not real, but taxidermied. It is part of the University of Oulu’s Zoological Museum collection.

Northern fauna live in varying environments – they adapt to the rhythm of light and dark, they persevere through the biting cold and smoldering heat, and both through the abundant summers and sparse winters. Each moment, each movement is a chapter in a large story of survival.

Your adventure

At the Animal Tracks exhibition, you will get to explore the Oulu region’s diverse nature and its fascinating local inhabitants. Along the way, you will meet animals you might not often run into – at least not nearby! There are over one hundred taxidermized animals, skeletons, skulls, and a wide range of invertebrate animals, especially bugs, on display.

Close-up of feet. Two children are walking along duckboards. The duckboards are not real but printed on wall-to-wall carpet.

There is plenty to see and also to experience at the exhibition. You can splash around like salmon, fly like a bird, and hunt like a frog. Test your skills in an animal quiz and, if you dare, see if you can identify different animal droppings.

Experience nature closer than ever before and uncover its secrets!

The exhibition is co-produced together by the Science Centre Tietomaa and University of Oulu. Its production has been supported by the University of Oulu, the city of Oulu, Metsähallitus and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The top image on the webpage was not produced with artificial intelligence.