The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center serves as a stronghold for Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Education in Belize
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has been recognized worldwide for its achievements in environmental education and its fascinating zoological facility and continues to play a leading national role in wildlife and habitat conservation. Started in 1983 by environmentalist Sharon Matola, TBZ was a last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of 17 wild animals that had been used i
14/05/2026
Early Closure Notice! The Belize Zoo will be closing early on Friday, May 15th, 2026 for a general staff meeting. We are closing at 3:30PM, with last admission at 2:30PM. Regular operating hours resume the following day.
Thank you for your understanding!
Happy Mother’s Day from the Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center! ❤️ Today, we celebrate moms in all forms and the love, care, and dedication they give every day.
Mothers in the wild play a crucial role in the lives of their young. They nurture, protect, teach survival skills, and guide them as they grow — much like the mothers and mother figures in our own lives. Enjoy these clips of a Great Curassow and her chicks, along with a White-tailed Deer and her fawns out in the Sharon Matola Sanctuary.
09/05/2026
Come celebrate the legacy of a true conservation hero with us 🌿 Sharon Matola Day is happening on Saturday, June 6th, 2026, and we’re inviting YOU! 🐾
🎉 All Belizeans and permanent residents will enjoy FREE entry to the Belize Zoo. Yes, FREE!
In lieu of admission fees, visitors are encouraged to bring along fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, or eggs to pay homage to Sharon’s strategy of garnering in-kind support to feed the animals in the early days of the Zoo.
Keep an eye out for more details.
07/05/2026
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center (TBZTEC) was honored to receive the Pan Paniscus Conservation Award from the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM) and the Milwaukee County Zoo (MCZ).
Our Managing Director, Dr. Celso P**t, attended their “Celebrating You and the Zoo” event where he proudly accepted this award on behalf of TBZTEC. This recognition honors the Belize Zoo’s continued support and commitment to conservation efforts shared with the ZSM and MCZ.
The Belize Zoo has maintained a longstanding partnership with the Milwaukee County Zoo and the Zoological Society of Milwaukee since the 1980s. For more than four decades, their support, collaboration, and shared vision have played a vital role in strengthening conservation initiatives in Belize and advancing the mission of the Belize Zoo. Together, we continue to strategically focus our efforts on capacity building, conservation research, education, and creating meaningful opportunities that benefit both Belize’s wildlife and communities.
We are deeply thankful for this recognition and for the continued friendship and support shared between our organizations. We look forward to many more years of collaboration!
Photo Credit: Milwaukee County Zoo & Zoological Society of Milwaukee.
04/05/2026
The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center is now accepting applications for the 2026 Sharon Matola Conservation Scholarship!
This scholarship will provide a tuition award of up to $10,000BZ to a Belizean woman to pursue undergraduate studies in the natural sciences: Biology, Natural Resource Management, or Environmental Science.
Students who are interested should email the required application material as a single Word or .pdf document to [email protected] by Saturday May 30, 2026.
For a full description of the award requirements and for the application form, follow the link:
https://www.belizezoo.org/matolascholarship/
30/04/2026
Come spend your long weekend with us at the Belize Zoo! We will be open on Friday, May 1st, and throughout the entire weekend. This is the perfect time to come out and experience the incredible wildlife of Belize up close.
OPENING HOURS:
Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Last admission at 3:30 PM)
Saturday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (Last admission at 4:00 PM)
Sunday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (Last admission at 3:30 PM)
Enjoy a full day at the zoo, grab a bite at Harpy Café, and don’t forget to stop by our gift shop featuring Belize Zoo merchandise and locally made artisan products. See you this weekend!
World Tapir Day at the Belize Zoo was a blast! 🎉
We kicked off the day with our annual tapir cake competition, where the winning creation was served to Sparks the tapir for his birthday. Don’t worry—the other cakes didn’t go to waste! They were shared among the seven other tapirs at the zoo making it a sweet celebration all around.
Thank you to for helping us make this event possible.
If you joined us for the competition or stopped by the Belize Zoo, we thank you for being part of such a special day. The central american tapir is Belize’s national animal, and it’s up to all of us to celebrate, appreciate, and protect this incredible species.
HAPPY WORLD TAPIR DAY! Thank you for following along with our Managing Director, Dr. Celso P**t, throughout this month as we shared the stories of some of the amazing tapirs who call the Belize Zoo home. If you adopted a tapir along the way, we truly appreciate your support and cannot express our gratitude enough!
To wrap up Tapir Talks, we’re featuring Tambo the tapir in our final episode. You can adopt Tambo at www.belizezoo.org/tambo or at the link in our bio.
As a tapir adopter, you’ll receive a special care package including:
• Official adoption certificate
• A photo of Tambo
• A fun fact sheet about the Central American tapir
• A unique Belize Zoo sticker
✨ Bonus: The first TWO adoptions will receive a limited-edition tapir keychain in their adoption package.
Meet Ceibo, the oldest tapir at the Belize Zoo.
At almost 22 years old, Ceibo is a calm and gentle soul who enjoys the simple things in life like long naps and peaceful days in his habitat. As he enters his golden years, he needs a little extra care, and that’s where you can make a difference. By adopting Ceibo through our Adopt an Animal Program, you’re directly supporting his daily needs! Your adoption helps us provide nutritious food, habitat upkeep, enrichment, and specialized senior care for Ceibo.
Ready to help Ceibo thrive?
Visit https://www.belizezoo.org/ceibo/ or click the link in our bio to adopt today.
As a tapir adopter, you’ll receive a special care package:
• Official adoption certificate
• A photo of Ceibo
• A fun fact sheet about the Central American tapir
• A unique Belize Zoo sticker
✨ Bonus: The first TWO adoptions in April will receive a limited-edition tapir keychain!
23/04/2026
Are you joining us this Sunday, April 26th to celebrate World Tapir Day? Come spend the day at the Belize Zoo as we honor Belize’s beloved national animal.
Take your time exploring our engaging booths, from natural history displays to zoo merchandise, and enjoy hands-on activities that everyone can get involved in. Kids will enjoy the face painting, bracelet making, and creative stations designed to keep the fun going all day long.
This Sunday only, step into the wild with 50% off our Nature in 360° virtual reality experience. For just $5 per person, ages 8 and up, you can enjoy an immersive wildlife adventure like no other!
Bring your family, invite your friends, and come celebrate tapirs with us.
22/04/2026
Happy Earth Day from The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center! 🌎
Today, we are celebrating in the most meaningful way by getting our hands in the soil with the students of St. Agnes Anglican School in La Democracia. Together, we started a small garden, planting carrots and sweet peppers. This was a fun, hands-on way to teach the importance of sustainability and showing young minds how our beautiful planet gives back to us.
Earth Day is a reminder that even the smallest actions, like planting a seed or sharing knowledge, can grow into something powerful for our planet’s future. What are you doing to recognize this special day? 🌿
| Monday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Friday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Saturday | 08:30 - 17:00 |
| Sunday | 08:30 - 16:30 |