International Tourism in Belize – The day started with a 6:30 breakfast and a trip to Xununtunich, an ancient Mayan ruin site where we spent the morning, and the day ended with eating termites.

We went back to the Tropical Education Centre for lunch after visiting the ruins and walked through the trails with our guide who told us about some of the plants, trees, and animals. After dinner was my highlight of the day: a tour of the Belize Zoo in the dark.

All of the animals in the zoo are there because they were rescued, orphaned, rehabilitated, or born in the zoo and they can’t be released back into the wild. A worker from the zoo gave us the tour and told us the story of each of the animals we visited. The best part for me was how hands on it was. I got to hold a boa constrictor, feed and pat Indie the tapir, feed bananas to the pacas, and get licked by the whitetail deer.

Our guide fed some of the other animals, so we got to see them up close. There was the ocelot, margay, a puma, a couple crocodiles, the coatimundis and kinkajous. And of course, Junior Buddy the jaguar. He did tricks and somersaults for us. He was born at the zoo when his mother, Springfield, was rescued from the community of Springfield.

Anna Johnstone

Tourism Management Student

NSCC Akerley Campus