Meredith at the Belize Zoo

I had the opportunity to do an internship at the Belize Zoo. There, I was mostly involved with preparing the food for the animals, and then distributing the food to them. In the mornings we would prepare food for the birds; the Curassows, Macaws, Parrots, Toucans, and Toucanettes. They eat mainly fruits and corn. I was able to learn about these different birds, and even hold some of them. In the afternoons, we would prepare food for the Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Kinkajous, Tapirs, Pacas, Agoutis, Coatimundis, and White-tailed Deer. All of these eat mainly fruits as well. I enjoyed the afternoons more because most of the animals we fed were very tame, and I could pet most of them. The Kinkajous were my favorite animals of the zoo. Sometimes I would do some random tasks for the zookeepers, such as cleaning the food dishes, sweeping and mopping the floor, collecting leaves for the animals, or showing off the boa constrictor to visitors (see picture). Overall, a work day at the Belize Zoo was very fun, and much less stressful than most American days at work. There was always time to talk to others. The zookeepers were never too busy to stop and teach you something, or to tell you their life story. The Belize Zoo is a beautiful zoo, and I would suggest visiting there if you have a chance.