On February 13, 2018, the government of Belize took a giant leap forward in protecting the wildlife in the country. The new law has created a 43-mile square (110-square kilometer) biological corridor in the northeast of the country to allow for the safe passage of indigenous animals like Baird's tapir (Belize's national animal), jaguars, and pumas to travel between the Shipstern Nature Reserve and the Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve.
Biological corridors have been recognized as important tools in protecting and preserving wildlife. In Belize, more than half of the country's territory is already a protected wildlife sanctuary, animal refuge, or national park, but every year, animals are injured or killed when crossing roads or passing through inhabited areas.
Belize's new wildlife corridor includes stretches of privately owned land in some of the most scenic regions of the country. The new corridor will allow animals to move between the deciduous forests of the coast to tropical forests located farther inland.
Several local NGOs hailed the move, including the Corozal Sustainable Future Initiative. "This corridor is absolutely essential as it will help the long-term survival for native animals," said Heron Moreno, the executive director of CSI. "More importantly, the corridor shows that the government is now working with private stakeholders to protect the environment."
The plan to build the biological corridor has been in the works for more than 20 years. A coalition of conservation NGOs and private landowners have been working to designate a corridor in northern Belize but were hampered by the expansion of agricultural lands in the region. However, after decades of persistence, local NGOs were able to convince both the government and local landowners of the importance of biological corridors to give wildlife free passage between existing protected areas.
Areas of the new biological corridor under private ownership will be placed into a trust in perpetuity with rules based on national legislation concerning protected natural areas.
Travelers interested in eco-tourism should book their vacations with the award-winning Caves Branch Jungle Lodge. Located in the pristine heart of the Belizean jungle, Caves Branch Jungle Lodge offers luxury accommodations and adventure tours.
Caves Branch Jungle Lodge is also home to the country's largest botanical gardens which has an extensive collection of bromeliads, epiphytes, orchids, and other indigenous flowering plants. The botanical gardens are used for scientific studies and conservation projects, and Caves Branch Jungle Lodge is an industry leader in sustainable eco-tourism in Belize.