A Trip To The Belize Zoo

Hi my name is Avil, join me as I visit The Belize Zoo. It's just an hour drive on the Western highway just outside of Belize City and is a 29 acre facility. The zoo has been in operation for over 25 years and is managed and maintained by Sharon Matola and her staff. 

The Belize Zoo is also known as "the best little zoo in the world".   All the animals in the zoo reside in areas identical to  their natural habitat , and  all the animals are native to Belize.  

At The Belize  Zoo  each animal has a unique story and because there is a strict rule that no animals can be taken from the wild, all zoo residents were either  donated to the zoo, injured and brought in for healing and rehabilitation, born at the zoo or sent to the zoo from another zoological facility.

 In this amazing little facility there are  some of the most exotic animals such as the National Animal of Belize, the Tapir,also known as the “mountain cow” by the locals. I got a chance to meet the tapirs April and Scotty personally, and what a thrill it was to see these animals up close and personal.

In Belize there are five different species of wild cats, and the Belize Zoo is home to 2 of these majestic felines, the Ocelot and the Jaguar. On my visit I learned some amazing facts:  the ocelot was once hunted, almost to the point of  extinction for its fur. It would take the fur of  one hundred ocelots to make one fur coat.  But things have changed since .

 At  the zoo there is one ocelot and three jaguars. Crossing paths with one of these cats in the wild might not be a good

One of the most beautiful birds in Belize is the Macaw Parrot. In the past, this gorgeous bird could  be spotted in large numbers but is now an endangered species.

Some other birds that are residents of the Belize zoo are “the King Vulture”  and the Jabiru Stork.  Amazingly, the Jabiru Stork  is the largest flying bird in the Americas, it can weight up to 16lbs, grows up to 5ft with a wing span of over 8ft! The Jabiru at the zoo is a beauty.  Then there's the National Bird of Belize which is  the Keel-Bill Toucan .

My visit to the Belize Zoo culminated with a  stroll along winding pathways through lush vegetation leading to a massive pond that was home to a wide array of fish, various species of turtles, and a pair of seemingly love struck crocodiles.

I took in the view, and watched  spider monkeys frolic , all this complemented by the distant roar of howler monkeys at the "best little zoo in the world"... The Belize Zoo. Don't just take my word for it...come see for yourself, an adventure awaits.  

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