Liz at the Zoo

Giving a jaguar a tummy massage and in turn receiving a lick on the face, tossing slimy pig livers into the awaiting jaws of a gigantic crocodile, and being face to face with scarlet macaws, river otters, spider monkeys, and kinkajous as you hand feed them…….only happens on the Discovery Channel right? Wrong. While interning at the Belize Zoo, all of the above were simply daily tasks that I “had” to do. While some of the work was less than glamorous (it was near impossible to not have a rainbow of juices on your shirt after cutting hundreds of bananas, watermelons, papayas, and a whole array of meats), the unbelievable experiences had at the Belize Zoo, such as getting to play worship songs with a fellow CCSP interning student as some of the rehabilitating jaguars purred in the background, made all of the hard work more than worth while. Not only were the animal interactions unreal, but the days spent with the keepers (whom were nice enough to put up with my kindergarten level Spanish), were full of amazing insight into another culture that is very rich in the aspects of life that matter most. Whether it was being mere inches from endangered animals, preparing endless food plates, or getting to know the local Belizeans, the Belize Zoo internship was a series of one unforgettable experience after another.