By Belize Live News Staff: The Belize Zoo opened its doors to conservation partners last week to celebrate a major win for Belize’s forests.
On November 5, the zoo hosted a gathering to mark the complete connection of the Belize Maya Forest Corridor, made possible by adding more than 3,500 acres of forest to link protected areas in central Belize.
That same day, students from St Martin de Porres School spent the morning at the zoo learning about conservation, followed by the evening Voices of the Corridor celebration with partners from government and the conservation community.
The zoo’s own Sharon Matola Wildlife Sanctuary, named after the zoo’s late founder and spanning more than 2,600 acres, is part of the corridor.
Wildlife corridors are vital for keeping forest habitats connected. Without them, animals like jaguars can become trapped in isolated patches as land is cleared, putting their survival at risk.
The zoo congratulated the Belize Maya Forest Trust, the Government of Belize and everyone involved, saying the milestone shows what can be achieved when organizations, communities and landowners work toward a shared goal.
