Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

The Belize Zoo celebrated World Tapir Day with a birthday celebration for Fuego.  He even got some birthday cake especially for him.  It was another great event at the Belize Zoo.  Ya'axche has some great pictures from the event, and Channel 5 got some video and did some interviews.

"Another smashingly successful National Tapir Day at the Zoo!  Over 250 guests from all over the country joined us to celebrate our national animal, the 'Mountain Cow.'  Excitement and energy were high, especially when Belize's new tapir ambassador, 'Fuego,' finally had his first birthday fiesta!  Students bravely addressed the crowd and shared why tapirs were important to them and their country.  

The young, talented musicians from Panerrifix Steelband kept us entertained with steelband melodies, followed by an enthusiastic sing-along session by the entire party crowd, lead by TBZ Director, Sharon Matola.  While students had their refreshments and played clever tapir games, Fuego munched away on his splendid birthday cake made of sweet potatoes, carrots, honey, and all the things a young, growing tapir loves to eat!  TBZ thanks all our special guests that made this day extra special.  Here's to another 30 years of magical mountain cow events."

Yes, it is, and that's why we love the Belize Zoo.

"The Belize Zoo had the extraordinary honour of being selected as a 'Bright Spot' by the Caribbean Leadership Project hosted by UWI's Cave Hill School of Business.  Through the project's module 'Serving Our People, Country, and Region,' the Zoo was highlighted as one of the 'bright spots' in Belize that exhibits successful leadership and citizen focused services, for its 30 years of contributions to education and wildlife conservation in our country.  A group of CEOs and Permanent Secretaries from around the Caribbean (including Belize!) graced TBZ with their presence, as Founding Director Sharon Matola shared the history, mission and vision of 'the best little zoo in the world.'  Rose the crocodile then made an appearance at the end of discussions, along with 'Miss Belize' the tapir mascot, displaying a perfect summary of the Zoo's approach to wildlife conservation through interactive education.  TBZ thanks our colleagues for such an honoured visit, and looks forward to another 30 years of putting Belizeans in touch with their natural heritage, so we can save it for generations to come!"

Junior Buddy had his 7th birthday this week, and The Belize Zoo threw a big bash for it.  Happy birthday, Junior Buddy!  In related news, there's now an action plan for the sustainable development of the Central Belize Corridor, which jaguars and many other animals use, and need.  It's a great start, and you can read more about it on Panthera's or the zoo's sites.

"As promised, Junior Buddy had a fan club of over 200 strong show up at the Zoo yesterday to wish him many more as we celebrated his 7th Birthday.  Students, parents, and teachers from La Democracia and Mahogany Heights communities in the Belize District saw Junior diver headfirst into his pond to retrieve his delicious birthday bone, then proudly feast on it for the rest of the day while his admirers looked on.  The entire school joined TBZ Director Sharon Matola in yet another rendition of the Junior Buddy song, while cameras rolled from Love FM and News 5 news stations.  Games, prizes, snacks, facepainting and fun for all followed for a successful day in celebrating the magnificent jaguar species that still calls Belize its home, and will for many years to come!"