I don't often visit zoos when I am traveling abroad. It is usually museums or ancient ruins that attract my attention. However, this was our last full day in Belize and it began with a downpour, not really beach weather. I noticed that the tour companies all offered trips to the zoo, so there must be something interesting to see.The Belize Zoo was dedicated strictly to animals native to Belize - no polar bears in cute little igloos here. We were the first ones there and headed to the far end of the park to see the big cats first, before the rains came. Didn't quite make it. Somehow it seemed fitting to be drenched in the jungle while admiring huge birds and amazing cats.
There was a stork as tall as me and a jaguar "Junior" that let guests, willing to pay for the experience, feed and pet him through a wire cage. We ran into one of the handlers and he showed us the black jaguar "Lucky", rescued a year ago from one of the resorts in southern Belize. Lucky approached us like he was tracking prey, the epitome of stealth. A little less intimidating was the toucan - although he did nip at me with his enormous bill when I got too close. We were drenched by the end, but had a wonderful time discovering the animals and birds of Belize.
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