Hello everyone!
We are still having a great time down here. I thought I would talk to you about our experience travelling from Bermudian Landing to Belmopan a few days ago.
Our guide at the Howler Monkey lodge drove us to the Belize Zoo where we spent a couple of hours on a self-guided tour of the premises. The only other zoo I have been to is the Toronto Zoo as a child. The Belize Zoo was much different than the one in Toronto. First of all, the zoo is more of a sanctuary, because it was created to aid animals who had either been injured in the wild, or who had been taken from domestic situations. Also, every animal was a local to Belize. This means that the animals are somewhat used to the climate, flora, and other animals that are in the zoo. It definitely seemed like a more humane way of enclosing animals. There were a few animals that I could tell were not mentally healthy, though. They paced their enclosures, waited at the exit of their pens, and some just plain looked unhappy. It would have been nice to know their stories before seeing them, so that it would be easier to determine whether or not the animal is in a better environment than it had before. The zoo did do a great job of advertizing the need to protect the forest and animals from harm with many explanitory signs. It is always nice to see that people are dedicated to protecting their homeland.
After our walkabout, another tour company picked us up at the zoo and drove us to Banana Bank (I think it was) for a horseback riding adventure. It was ironic that we ended up at this ranch just after discussing the pros and cons of the wildlife sanctuary we had just visited. Upon arrival, the ranch looked amazing. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and the horses roamed the roads and the fields. But the we met the owner, who was originally from the United States, who took us on a tour of his property. He proudly displayed a gigantic cage filled with tropical birds, not all native to Belize. Some were brought out for display to us and could not fly away, as their wings had been clipped. I understand that many people own tropical birds, but it made me feel uneasy at the same time. But what really caught the attention of the group were the two monkeys that were chained to trees. It was strange to see this just after discussing the effects on animals when they are in constraints and not in their natural surroundings. We also discovered in Orange Walk that it is not legal to have monkeys in Belize, so this also churned our stomachs. After several strange comments, we all felt like leaving. But it was an awkward situation where we did not have a chance to have a quick group meeting to discuss if the group was still comfortable in going on the tour. We hesitantly walked towards the horses and continued with the trip, wondering if we were doing te right thing, as tourism students, in physically and monetarily supporting this organization. Personally, if I had visited the ranch alone, I most definitely would have walked. It is a shame, too, because the horseback riding experience was actually quite nice. The guides were great (although they could have been more sensitive to those of us who were uncomfortable on horses) and the scenery was beautiful. It's too bad that the owner as so inconsiderate of animal rights and did not even realize that guests may feel uneasy at the ranch.
It is hard in any country to participate in activities that do not fel right to you. But I think that it is especially difficult to support something you know is wrong in a developing country, where your tourism dollars could be going to an organization whose morals you support. Although we had done our research in advance, we never knew this would happen. So I encourage anyone who is travelling to try to gain as much knowledge about the companies you hire for your travels. It is important to support what you belive in!
Overall it was an amazing experience, and a perfect example of what to do and what not to do. We learned a lot that day.
Less than 10 days to go... see you soon!
--Ebony
