Princess visits Belize Zoo

Princess Anne marked the second full day of her visit to Belize with a stop at an attraction very dear to her heart. Ann-Marie reports.

Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting

Over seventeen thousand Belizean children enter the gates of the Belize Zoo every year, but today it was an extra special visitor who went on a VIP tour. Princess Anne last visited the zoo twelve years ago. According to the director, Sharon Matola, the princess believes in safeguarding the environment.

Sharon Matola, Director, Belize Zoo

“She saw it when it was under development in 1989. It was hard to even get a feeling of what it would look like, and then her dad was here in 1993, and he was really interested in it. In fact, after we did the first walk around, he asked for a private tour with me so that he could do it in more detail. She’s interested in biodiversity, conservation, children, and how it all fits together.”

And all this fits together well with conservation as the princess assisted Belizean conservationist Henry Fairweather in planting one more mahogany tree, adding to the over one hundred thousand he’s already planted in the area. A new scarlet macaw exhibit will one day benefit from the shade of our national tree. Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.

This afternoon the Princess visited B.D.F. headquarters in Ladyville where she handed over military equipment valued at over four hundred and sixty thousand dollars. She departs the country early Friday morning.