Special Report

Troops rebuild Belize zoo

Troops stationed in Belize with the British Army Training Support Unit, BATSUB, have been helping clear up following a hurricane which devastated the country. British Forces News reporter Charlotte Cross reports....

Hurricane Richard struck in late October, causing damage to many houses, bringing down trees and even destroying the war memorial in Belize City. Nobody was injured or killed during the storms, but The Belize Zoo was particularly badly hit. Many of the cages were left damaged by the winds, or hit by falling trees, and are in urgent need of repair. It will take months if not years to restore the zoo to its former glory.

Since the zoo was first built in the 1980s, BATSUB has enjoyed a close relationship with its founder and director Sharon Matola. Servicemen helped her design the zoo by flying her above the site in a helicopter to take pictures from the air. Soldiers used engineering machinery to dig out the giant pond, which is now home to crocodiles, turtles and many species of fish.

So it was only natural that the servicemen and women of BATSUB should rush to Sharon’s aid when the zoo was hit by the hurricane. Ever since, many of them have given up their free time at weekends to help clear away the piles of debris, doing all the heavy lifting so the animals can return from hurricane-proof holding pens, back home into their cages.

The jaguars are the zoo’s star attraction, and visitors can learn about one of the most intriguing big cats, by getting exceptionally close. Sharon rescued Fieldmaster from the authorities, after he was caught killing livestock (many of the jaguars’ natural prey is in short supply in Belize), and she’s rehabilitated him so visitors can ask him to roll over, and most impressively, he’ll even give you a “high five”… if you ask nicely!

Sharon is now on a mission to raise enough money to rebuild the zoo properly. The zoo has been closed since the hurricane, so it’s been hit financially too. In the meantime, BATSUB are holding fundraising events, including a “Jungle Night”, where everyone has to dress up as an animal.

The Belize Zoo is a last resort for many of the animals living there. Their fate would otherwise be uncertain.

If you want to donate to The Belize Zoo hurricane relief fund, you can do so at http://www.belizezoo.org.

To view an image gallery from The Belize Zoo please see: http://www.bfbs.com/news/galleries/batsub-help-rebuild-belize-zoo-41287....