Visiting the Belize Zoo

Visiting the Belize Zoo

Animal love, Central America, Destinations, Musings/Reflections

Visiting the Belize Zoo

Why it’s worth a visit (even if you don’t like zoo’s)

The Belize Zoo is a safe haven for orphaned, injured, or misused animals local to Belize. I’m not a fan of zoos or animal encounters, as so many contain animals in unnatural habitats, living in cement cages, who were ripped from their parents and paid for for human enjoyment. So, I make sure to do research prior to contributing any funds towards something that could potentially endanger or threaten the quality of life for an animal. With this being said, the Belize Zoo is a gem of a place for the creatures it houses.

The Belize Zoo started as a simple ‘backyard zoo’ to help house and protect animals that were used on film sets in the 1980’s. Today it protects animals only natural to Belize’s land in open enclosures (some of which the animals could very easily leave if they wanted to). It serves as a resource to the country as prior to the zoo existing many did not know of the species native to their country.

These native animals living at this zoo have come in naturally; meaning they weren’t paid for to complete a set of animals a guest might want to see. As I stated earlier, this place began on the premise that film set animals needed a refuge after being used for ‘work’ (another post for another time). Currently many of the animals are rescues of wildfires, hunting accidents/orphaned young, or injured due to loss of habitat.

How unique & precious are tapirs?!

They are very difficult to see in the world and are Belize’s national animal. To me, they look like a cross between an ant eater and a hippo.

While still hesitant to visit any zoo, no matter it’s rescue efforts as a cage is a cage to a wild animal, I really enjoyed how the areas that held the animals were much larger than what I’ve seen at any zoo in the United States (with the exception of the San Diego Safari Park).

There were also signs throughout the park educating guests not to pluck any plants, the need for these animals to remain wild and why these animals ended up at the Belize Zoo. And the staff here are caretakers, not just assigned trash pick up or queue directors.

If you find yourself in beautiful Belize and are able to, try to make time to contribute to the conservation efforts of the Belize Zoo with a visit. See for yourself and compare to others zoos that you have visited- if you’ve been there, what did you think? Would you agree with how they have built this place?

Hi! I’m Laura, a sustainable travel blogger, as well as freelancing online brand strategist. I share real & honest information about traveling, how to do so sustainably, and ways to earn an income while working remote.

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End Note regarding the Belize Zoo:

I do not endorse any zoo or animal encounters of any kind. I truly believe that animals should be kept in their natural habitat if possible.

Unfortunately, much of Belize land has been changing (tourism increases and buildings) that if an animal’s home is burned or destroyed their last option may be a zoo similar to Belize’s.

Please keep in mind that we are all entitled to our own opinions- if you disagree with mine or the words used in this post feel free to share, but in a respectful and kind manner.

*there is an option to pay to feed one of the jaguars; I’ll admit I had considered doing this (as jaguars are my favorite big cat) however we connected with someone who used to work at the zoo while on another tour and he told us that he didn’t agree with the direction these encounters were going — as you can now have the jaguar perform tricks (?!) While these animals are well protected and cared for, this type of ‘entertainment’ should not be an option. Pay to visit the zoo, but don’t fall for the trap of this kind of animal encounter.

If you’re planning a trip to Belize, check out my other blog posts on the most beautiful places to visit & the best things to do in Belize

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Eco-Friendly Tips for the Beach

Eco-Friendly Tips for the Beach

Environment, Travel Tips

Eco-Friendly Tips for the Beach

Five simple tips to help keep our beaches clean

Note: this post contains affiliate links to products we love and have purchased ourselves on Amazon. Clicking these links doesn’t cost you any extra money, and you’re supporting us by doing so. You can view my disclosure page for additional details.

When choosing a destination for a vacation one of the most popular reasons for going will be a place with stunning views and landscapes. In order for these destinations to be desirable they are well maintained by someone who is being paid to do so, and some beaches cannot keep up with the trash pollution (hello tides bringing things in and out).

Beaches are easy places for people to leave behind garbage because the assumption is that ‘I won’t be coming back here so not my problem anymore’, or a personal “favorite” of mine is the assumption that someone will clean up after you. It’s confusing to think about how and when that mindset settled in, but the reality is no one is coming in after you to clean up your mess on a beach. Beach clean ups are great, but they are a band-aid over a bigger problem, not a solution. So, I’ve put together a simple list of things YOU can do to prevent waste and be eco-friendly on your next beach visit.

Five Friendly Tips to help keep our beaches clean

1. CARRY A (REUSABLE) WATER BOTTLE

Instead of purchasing another plastic water bottle, reuse one you already have or carry a sturdy reusable bottle with you. It’ll be a great reminder to fill it up and stay hydrated, and it saves plastic from being left behind.

Here is a resusable water bottle that I really like

*My suggestion would be to not invest too heavily into a reusable bottle that you will travel with. I once had an empty water bottle tossed via a secondary, full plane, re-check of our carry on luggage with the reason being I couldn’t have any bottles of any kind…

2. BRING A REUSABLE CLOTH SHOULDER BAG OR GROCERY BAG

Plagues are to human destruction, as Plastic is to the ocean… alright, my attempt at an analogy may not be great, but the point I’m trying to make is that plastic is the devil- especially to our oceans. Avoid plastic like a plague and always bring a reusable bag with you. Some clothing stores use cloth bags, such as Free People and Verge Girl, that you can reuse or use a reusable grocery bag. They are lightweight and very useful.

These cloth bags are a great size for a long day spent at the beach

3. WEAR REEF-SAFE & CRUELTY FREE SUNSCREEN

Coral reefs maintain and protect vast parts of our oceans. They can be bleached and die from oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are main ingredients in many mainstream sunscreens. They are toxic to our oceans. Protect marine life and coral reefs by wearing reef-safe and cruelty free sunscreens.

I am currently working on reviewing various sunscreens that fit into this category to share which ones are best for protection, quality and for your dollar. In the meantime, here are brands that I have heard of:

  • Sun Bum; I use their 30 spf
  • Hang Ten
  • Jason Mineral
  • Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen
  • Australian Gold Botanical Sunscreen
  • Bare Republic

*search for mineral and zinc oxide based sunscreens

4. BRING YOUR OWN FOOD

Packing your own food will allow you to use reusable Tupperware and avoid horrific items like foam packaging and plastic straws. While at home I use the Pyrex brand, but for travelling these silicone bags are great (plus they have cute little pandas on them too)

If you bring items that are individually wrapped, such as protein bars, be sure to…

 

5. TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU

Some beaches will have garbage bins on the beach, which is wonderful! However, beaches are windy places. When the wind starts it’ll pick up whatever lightweight items are in a garbage bin and float them away. Use that reusable bag you’re going to bring with you and store your trash in there to toss out at home or at your lodging.

That’s it! Five very simple things you can easily do to help preserve beaches. It’s incredible to think about how simple these five tasks are and even more incredible how impactful you, as an individual, can be utilizing these tips.

Share this post with someone you go to the beach with so you and your team can be prepped for the beach that all you have to do is enjoy the the rays & the waves!

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