The Belize Zoo, La Democracia

This is a really good zoo. It's more an animal sanctuary than a zoo, as all the animals here are either rescued or cannot be released and are here to educate visitors. The all have their own stories. The enclosures all seem spacious and appropriately planted. We observed some natural behaviours from some of the animals which was reassuring. We're from the UK so pretty much every animal here is brand new to us. It was fascinating to see all those new species. We had no problems spotting the jaguars and howler monkeys as they were all relaxing close to the perimeters of their enclosures and going about their business. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. We were also able to pay a donation and feed one of the tapirs (a Belize national animal) which was a highlight. All in all this park is well worth the visit. It's not large but certainly walkable in a couple of hours around the winding pathways. Buses from Belize city are quite regular in both directions so it's cheap and easy to get to.

Best zoo I have ever been to. Beautifully designed and conservation focus is great. Animals seem very content and well taken care of. Staff clear love the animals and care for them well.