Museum refurbished at Baboon Sanctuary
And while students were learning about Belize’s marine environment, twenty miles to the west, folks in Bermudian Landing were showing News 5’s Jacqueline Woods the latest developments at one of the country’s most popular inland wildlife attractions.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
It took only two weeks for fourteen students and a professor from the United States to refurbish the nineteen year old Community Baboon Sanctuary situated in the Belize River Valley. The renovation is the first major work to take place at the museum since it was established in 1985. Most of the old exhibits have been replaced by a pictorial display of all forms of wildlife found in the area.
Jessie Young, President, C.B.S.
“The exhibits that were here were all outdated and faded, so we think that it was necessary to do a new look and to update everything for the education of everybody that come here.”
The newly tiled floor and freshly painted walls and boards make the environment an even more inviting place for both tourists and locals to visit.
Marsha Sedacy, Tour Guide, Belize River Valley
“It’s definitely gonna develop and enhance not only the village, but the community and other neighbouring villages. And it?s also gonna help with the conservation work for the whole country. It?s also gonna make Belize look top of the line that we could give this quality service out here.”
C.B.S. President Jessie Young says during the height of the tourism season you can expect more than three hundred daily visitors at the site. The area is best known for its healthy population of the black howler monkeys that have become almost extinct in other countries due to deforestation. It was an internet based conservation effort that made the renovation possible.
Jessie Young
“A programme that we have in adopting a monkey, so you could go on our website at howlermonkeys.bz and you could adopt a monkey and that was where the funds came from to do the upgrading.”
Equally encouraging is the interest generated by Belizeans, especially students. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
Ongoing improvements to the main road through the Belize River Valley should increase visitor traffic and economic development in the area.
