THE BELIZE ZOO EXHIBITS ONLY NATIVE BELIZEAN SPECIES AND USUALLY ONLY THOSE ANIMALS WHICH FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS CANNOT BE RETURNED TO THE WILD. THE ANIMALS FOR THE MOST PART LOOK HEALTHY AND ACTIVE. THE DAY I WAS THERE THE ZOO WAS VERY BUSY WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN. BELIZE HAS A VERY ACTIVE CONSERVATION COMPONENT WITH MANY RESERVES. HOWEVER GIVEN THE ECONOMIC REALITIES OF THE COUNTRY THIS ZOO WOULD SEEM TO BE ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WHERE CHILDREN OF THE URBAN AREAS CAN SEE WILDLIFE AND THE ZOO IS VERY ACTIVE IN EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF CONSERVATION EFFORTS COUNTRY WIDE.