Tour of the Belize Zoo
Antonio, from Maya Mountain Lodge, picked us up from the Nekton Pilot on Saturday morning and took us to the Belize Zoo. It is a fascinating place, and Antonio's expertise and friendliness made it all the more wonderful. After entering the Zoo the first inhabitants we saw were Howler Monkeys. These fellows are the chief residents of both the Zoo and the Jungles of Belize. The howl of these monkeys can be heard for 27 miles.
	As in most of the places we spent on land in Belize, the world is a Tropical Wonderland, filled with vegetation unknown in the frozen wastes of Northeastern Pennsylvania. This beautiful baby stared at us right across from the Howler Monkey above. Don't worry. No more flora. The rest of our tour will be restricted to fauna.
As we round the corner, we cross over a little bridge above a pond. What's that lurking in the pond? Is it a friendly alligator? I don't think so. This South American Crocodile would eat you or me in two shakes of a Tapir's Tail, if he weren't so tired. Maybe we ought to move on.
	Wow, I hope this little fellow is safe. Don't worry. I'm sure he can fly away from our friend, the crocodile in time. He gets great energy from his breakfast cereal. Yes, folks, this is the bird of Belize, the Toucan. He and his smaller cousins can be found in trees throughout the RainForest.
Next stop could be a tough one, sports fans. I think it's time everyone puts a clothespin on his or her nose. This fellow doesn't seem to have learned about deodorant soap, and I'm not about to get close enough to teach him, and he's not alone. Look at that crowd, and they all seem to be having fun. Let me introduce the Pickawarry, (I think.) Isn't he special?
	You are now looking at one of the most fantastic creatures in the Belize Zoo. The Tapir is a very special animal. He is sometimes referred to as the Belize Cow and sometimes as a South American Pig. Since he cannot bend his neck, he keeps walking around in circles. Watch out! If you get too close, he may want to claim you as part of his territory, just like puppies and kittycats do.
Uh oh! It looks like one of my fishie friends just bit the dust. It seems to be mealtime for one of the resident egrets at the Belize zoo. It was amazing watching this fish slide slowly down the long neck of this Egret. I've never seen an adam's apple move over such a long distance.
	It looks like the Egret is not the only bird on our tour. I present to you Charlie, a Scarlet Macaw, and also one of the friendliest animals at the Belize Zoo. He came to visit us when Antonio called him. Hi Charlie!
Hey look. Here's one of the smallest deer I've ever seen. His color is so beautiful. He appears even smaller than the Key Deer I spent an evening with on Big PIne Key. We watched this beautiful Red Buck Deer eating this leaf. He was really friendly and loved to be petted. Hunters, put those things down!
	Here's another fellow that looks like he could hail from back home in Pennsylvania. Hide the garbage bags, kids. This beautiful Red Raccoon sits up in his tree in the forest just like he owns the place. I thinks he's happy here.
Oops! Another fellow who can be found in the woods of Northeastern Pennsylvania is watching us from just beyond this fence. I think I can get my camera over the top. There he is. Wow, I like his haircut. He could be on the Swim Team. Watch out, though! You can never trust a weasel!
	Here's a fellow you don't see very often back home. You may not know this, but my wife has been President of the American Aardvark Society for forty years now. His cousin, this very cuddly anteater must have been very happy to see her touring his RainForest.
Felines are what the Jungle is known for. We will work our way up slowly to the big cats. We started with this little baby enjoying a mid afternoon snooze. Meet the resident Ocelot of the Belize Zoo.
	Not far beyond the home of the Ocelot, we ran into the fabled god of the Maya. This beautiful sleeping baby is the Jaguar, the God of the Olmecs and the Maya. The Jaguar is the fastest animal in the Americas and possibly the most beautiful animal in the world. At the end of our story, there will be a link to the Official Belize Zoo site. There you can see many pix of the Jaguar in action.
Just around the corner we ran into the largest of all American Cats, the Puma, Panther, or as we in the Hazleton Area like to say, the Cougar. This fellow seemed to be suffering from a slight limp as he stalked the Jungle, heading directly for us. Maybe he got hurt in Friday's game against the ever-powerful Bulldogs.
	Not far beyond the lair of the Cougar, we find the Pride of Belize and the Belize Zoo, a very rare and beatiful critter indeed. This beautiful Black Jaguar prowls his forest waiting to come upon unsuspecting prey, maybe an unwary Scuba Diver gone astray. I hope not. Our tour is over. Click on the link below to visit the Official Belize Zoo Site.