BEST LITTLE ZOO IN THE WORLD

The Belize Zoo

The Belize National Zoo and its associated Tropical Education Center were started in 1983 with 17 animals left from filming a documentary about tropical forests.

The Zoo is ideally located upon 29 acres of tropical savanna where it blends into the surrounding forest as a living museum. (When you are outside the Zoo, look for Common Tody Flycatchers, Rufous-browed Peppershrikes, Blue-gray Tanagers and Olive Sparrows, and others.)

Unlike many zoos with wide walkways and large compounds, the well thought-out settings make you feel as if you are in the jungle itself, with animals and birds on all sides.

The Zoo now exhibits over 125 animals, all native to Belize, all thriving in their natural habitat. Many of these sub-tropical animals are not seen elsewhere in the world. The zoo keeps animals which were either orphaned, born at the zoo, rehabilitated elsewhere, or were donated to the Zoo as gifts from other zoological institutions. Among these are many rare animals not likely to be seen elsewhere.

Recent residents not to be missed are the very rare Greater Grisons. Also look for Boa Constrictors, Coral Snakes, Iguanas, White Tailed Deer, White Lipped Peccarys, Collared Pecarys, Black Howler Monkeys, Tayras, Agoutis, Curassows, Margays, Wee Wee Ants, American and Morlett’s Crocodiles, Kinkjous, Red Brocket Deer, Jaguarundis, Gray Foxes, among the many exotic animals.

If you haven’t found them elsewhere, Birders will have an opportunity to see King Vultures, Ornate Hawk-eagles, Jabiru Storks, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Brown Pelicans, Egrets, Barn Owls, Crested Guana, Mottled Owls, Yellow-headed Parrots, Mealy Parrots, Harpy Eagles, Scarlet Macaws, Ospreys and Gray Hawks.