Located 26 miles outside Belize City at Mile 29 of the George Price Highway (Western Highway), the Belize Zoo is a perfect destination for a half-day trip or a convenient stop en route to or from the west. The zoo is open daily from 8:30 am to 5 pm, with admission prices at US$15. for adults and US$5. for children 3 to 12, volunteers, and military personnel. For more information, you can contact them at +501-613-4966 or visit Email: info@belizezoo.org
Getting There
To visit by bus, take any service between Belize City and Belmopan (except the express buses) and ask the driver to drop you off at the zoo’s sign along the highway. From there, a 100-yard walk leads you to the entrance and the Gerald Durrell Visitor Centre, which features children’s art and exhibits on Belize’s ecosystems.
Zoo Highlights
Established in 1983 following the production of the wildlife film “Path of the Rain God,” the Belize Zoo is recognized as one of the finest in the Americas south of the US. Sharon Matola, the film’s production assistant, founded the zoo with semi-tame animals that could no longer survive in the wild. Today, it houses native animals of Belize in spacious enclosures resembling their natural habitats. The zoo’s animals are not taken from the wild but are donated, confiscated pets, injured wildlife, or participants in captive breeding programs.
Education and Conservation:
All schoolchildren in Belize are granted free educational trips to the zoo. The zoo’s trail is designed as “a walk through Belize,” featuring different ecosystems such as pine ridge, forest edge, rainforest, lagoons, and river forest, with hand-painted signs identifying the flora and fauna.
Notable Residents:
- April the Tapir: April the tapir was The Belize Zoo’s first and most famous animal ambassador. Rescued as a calf in 1983, April became a beloved figure, with hundreds of Belizeans celebrating her birthday each year for 30 years until her passing in 2013. In honor of April, National Tapir Day is celebrated at the zoo every year in April, coinciding with World Tapir Day on April 27th. The zoo’s current “tapir troop” includes Indy, Tambo, Marchismo, Navidad, Fuego, Sparks, and Ceibo. Notably, Marchismo and Sparks are the only tapirs ever born at the zoo. One of the tapir’s favorite snacks is Cecropia leaves.
- Big Cats: The zoo is home to all Belizean cats, including jaguars, which have successfully bred in captivity. For US$50., visitors can enter an enclosure with a young, friendly jaguar under the keeper’s supervision. A rare melanistic (black) jaguar also resides here.
- At The Belize Zoo, you can observe many of Belize’s magnificent mammals in a natural setting, with nearly 20 species represented. Among them is the elusive and endangered Central American tapir, Belize’s National Animal, which you can see up close. As you explore the zoo, you will encounter Yucatan spider monkeys, white-tailed deer, coatimundis, white-lipped peccaries, and all five of Belize’s wildcat species. Have you ever heard of a jaguarundi or a margay? You can even opt for a unique experience with a jaguar.
- Birds and Other Animals: Aviaries house colorful scarlet macaws, toucans, parrots, jabiru storks, a spectacled owl, and several vultures and hawks. The harpy eagle, named Panamá, plays a crucial role in a breeding program aimed at reintroducing this majestic bird to Belize.
- The Belize Zoo is home to a diverse array of bird species, including scarlet macaws, spectacled owls, and harpy eagles. In total, the zoo cares for 17 avian species. In addition to the birds housed in enclosures, the zoo grounds attract a variety of wild birds that come and go freely. Nearly 280 bird species have been reported through checklists submitted on eBird.
- Other residents include deer, spider and howler monkeys, peccaries, agoutis, numerous snakes, and the two species of crocodile found in Belize.
Visitor Amenities
The gift shop offers interesting souvenirs, including popular children’s books written by Sharon Matola that emphasize conservation. For those keen on supporting the zoo further, you can become a Friend of the Zoo and receive a regular newsletter. The Belize Zoo’s website is also a great resource for current conservation issues in Belize.
The Tropical Education Centre
The Tropical Education Center, located across the highway from the zoo primarily caters to school and tour guide training groups, but it is open to everyone and offers research opportunities for international students. The center features internet access, a well-equipped library, self-guided nature trails, and observation decks around two small lagoons. The Tropical Education Centre is a 30 minute drive from the Philip Goldson International Airport, and is half way between Belize City and Belmopan.
Accommodation at the centre is available for anyone (arrange pickup at the zoo office). Nestled in the pine savannah, the lodging includes bug screens, electric lights, hot showers, flush toilets, and a communal kitchen. Wooden dorms with tiled floors US$46. per person) offer either double or single beds. For a slightly higher price, couples can opt for the comfortable “Forest Cabana” US$75. which is on stilts and has shared showers. Another option is the secluded Guest House US$93., long-term rates available), featuring a private bath, stove, fridge, and serene views. Guests can also enjoy a special nocturnal tour of the zoo for US$125. per person group of one to four, or US$25. per person in groups of five or more. Contact: email tecreservations@belizezoo.org, or telephone +501-613-1832
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Marking the boundary between the Belize and Cayo districts, and located 400 yards south of the new Costal Road at Mile 31.5 (most buses stop here), the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park Tel: +501-673-7671 and email: info@monkeybaybelize.com, is a 28-square-mile protected area extending to the Sibun River and beyond. It offers birding and nature trails through diverse habitats. The “bay” in its name refers to a beautiful swimming spot with a sandy beach on the river, shaded by trees home to howler and spider monkeys. The river watershed also supports abundant birdlife, jaguars, tapirs, and Morelet’s crocodiles.
From Monkey Bay, you can arrange guided canoeing, camping, and birding trips on the Sibun River, ranging from one to multiple days. You can also explore little-visited caves in the Sibun Hills to the south, which show evidence of ancient Maya use. For the three-day trek along the Indian Creek Trail to Five Blues Lake, a guide is necessary (Marcos Cucul is a highly recommended guide for this trail. All trips should be arranged in advance.
The sanctuary headquarters feature a handsome wooden field research station that serves as a library, museum, and classroom. It also includes a screened dining room and bunkhouses. While it specializes in academic programs in natural history and watershed ecology for students and teachers (it is also the Belize base for Conservation Corridors), it is a wonderfully relaxing place for anyone to stay. Accommodation options include rooms, cabins, bunkhouses, or camping on raised platforms under thatched roofs—all equipped with mosquito nets and shared rainwater showers. Accommodation costs range from US$30. (bunkhouse) to US$120. for deluxe cabins.