Contest winners get to spend a day with Jaguars
The winners of a contest by the Belize Zoo to protect the jaguar and its habitat, were treated to a day of fun activities that began at the Belmopan airstrip with a flight over a jaguar corridor and ended at the zoo with an encounter with Junior Buddy and High Five. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.
Delahnie Bain, Reporting
An unforgettable experience is the best way to describe the day of events planned specially for the two lucky winners of the Belize Zoo’s creative contest which was held over the past two months. The participants were from schools in the Belize River Valley and along the Western Highway, buffering an area that will hopefully be made into a jaguar corridor.
celso poot
Celso Poot, Education Director/Manager, Belize Zoo
“We went into the schools and we talked to the kids about the ecology of the jaguar, the need for the protection of the jaguar habitat and then we asked them to participate in our competition which was an expressive art where they could have drawn and also a creative writing where they could have written a composition about the jaguar or a poem. Coincidentally, both of the entries that were selected by the zoo representative came from the St. Matthews Village; one was a poem and the other was a painting of a jaguar.”
Delahnie Bain
“As a part of their prize, Rosalinde Hernandez and Jertrudis Santos are about to take off on a flight over the proposed jaguar corridor. While that in itself is an exciting experience, it will be the girls’ first time on an airplane.”
[Montage of flight boarding to take-off…]
Delahnie Bain
“And because they are at the center of the day’s activities, today couldn’t end without our winners being treated to visit to the zoo’s jaguars, particularly this special guy Jr. Buddy.”
[Montage of Zoo activities…]
After a full day in the spotlight, the girls walked away with Jr. Buddy T-shirts and a new appreciation for jaguars and the country’s natural resources on a whole.
Jertrudis Santos, Winner,
“The experience for me is flying and being with the jaguars.”
jertrudis santos
Delahnie Bain
“What did you enjoy the most?”
Jertrudis Santos
“Flying and being at the zoo.”
Delahnie Bain
“What are some of the things that you saw while you flew over the corridor?”
Jertrudis Santos
“I si di places where jaguars are spotted.”
Rosalinde Hernandez
rosalinde hernandez
“My experience was about how take care of our country especially the forest and the jaguars.”
Delahnie Bain
“What did you enjoy the most out of all the activities they had for you?”
Rosalinde Hernandez
“Seeing the jaguar turning round and round and giving him a high five.”
Delahnie Bain
“Do you feel differently about jaguars now?”
Rosalinde Hernandez
“Yes.”
Delahnie Bain
“In what way?”
Rosalinde Hernandez
“Well first I used to see books about jaguars but I seh I haven’t seen one so it’s not much important for me to worry or like that.”
And while it was their own talents that won them first place, they were guided and encouraged by their teacher Therese Young.
therese young
Therese Young, Teacher
“You can do it because you will learn more, you will see how this helps our environment and how it goes with what we’re studying. We were studying the ecosystem and the food chain, the food web and how everything works together and how one thing affects the other and I encouraged them and I’m glad I did and I’m sure they’re glad I did too.”
Celso Poot
“The importance of getting the communities involved is for them to understand that their practices, whether it’s agriculture, housing development, all lead to some sort of deforestation. It is something that we cannot stop but it’s something that we can do in a sustainable manner.”
Rosalinde and Jertrudis are both standard six students of St. Matthews Government School. Their submissions were two of three that were sent from their class.
Delahnie Bain
“Reporting for News Five from the Belize Zoo with today’s lucky winners…”
Rosalinde Hernandez
“I am Rosalinde Hernandez.”
Jertrudis Santos
“I am Jertrudis Santos.”
Delahnie Bain
“I’m Delahnie Bain.”
