Belize: Belize Zoo

On the way back from Orange Walk, we stopped at the Belize Zoo. And once again, we were glad that we didn't come here as part of a guided tour. We encountered some groups, and their guides rushed them through the zoo at a fast pace. In contrast, we had all the time in the world to leisurely stroll through the small facility (and through the rain) and observe the animals.

Zoos are always a bit of a dilemma. On one hand, it would be nicer to observe animals in the wild. On the other hand, the chances of spotting a jaguar in the wild, for example, are rather slim (and one must also question whether one would really want that). In addition, most of the animals in this zoo have been rescued from private ownership or from the hands of poachers and smugglers, and cannot be released back into the wild. That is actually a good thing.

What sets this zoo apart from zoos at home are 2 things: The enclosures are not artificially designed. Take a jungle and plant a few metal fences in it, done. That means that the animals don't live on some concrete floor, but in their actual, natural environment. They simply don't have the same freedom to move around. However, the enclosures are actually mostly decently sized (although you can always argue about birds), nothing compared to true freedom, but large enough for the animals to move and especially hide. So, there is absolutely no guarantee of seeing the animals (unless you find a zookeeper who entices them out of their rain hideout with some food).
The second difference compared to zoos at home is that the enclosure is actually just a metal fence. There are no moats or similar barriers creating distance between the animals and the visitors. That means it is actually possible to get as close as 30 cm to a jaguar. It also means that you shouldn't necessarily stick your hand through the fence if you want to keep it for a while. If you visit the zoo with children, you should definitely keep an eye on them and their little hands.

We were lucky once again. Barely had we entered the zoo and reached the first jaguar enclosure (of course, the highlight of the zoo), he was already sitting comfortably on a branch and posing beautifully for us. See for yourself in the photos.
Apart from that, there were wild boars, tapirs, various birds and owls, monkeys, deer, and other animals native to Belize to see.
As I said, the zoo is not particularly large, but you can really spend a great afternoon there, stroll through the forest and look out for the next animal.

We spent the night in a hotel consisting of cool and well-furnished bungalows located near the highway. The hotel and its affiliated restaurant (where the food was really delicious) are run by a Danish family. Truly a good stop along the way. Although it wasn't cheap, we would have liked to sleep there again on the way back, but it was already fully booked.