When I visited this zoo in the fall of 2008 I saw these rarely exhibited mammal species: South American river otter, giant otter, crab-eating raccoon, tayra, jaguarundi, kinkajou, red brocket deer, mouse (murine) opossum and red howler monkey. Unfortunately none of them were in decent exhibits as the zoo lacks a solid financial base and is extremely poor in comparison to many American zoos that receive millions annually just in tax benefits. Also, many people that I met during my 10 weeks teaching high school in Trinidad & Tobago thought that certain mammals were better off being cooked and eaten for dinner than kept in a local zoo.
Oh My God
so tragic to see my second favorite animal(after koalas) in what is literally nothing more than some wire, cement wall, barren floor, and one stick.
utterly depressing
I would happily fund the bull dozer
This was one of the most tragic sights at the EVZ when I visited last week. Many animals are very poorly housed but the jaguarundi, which I was really interested in seeing, was downright pathetic. The poor creature alternated between pacing maniacally and lying apathetically in a corner. Such a beautiful animal. I certainly hope it benefits soon from the overdue zoo renovations that are underway.
Trinidad, like its neighbour Guyana, is an ex British colony, and a member of the Commonwealth. Why can't a UK zoo get involved in either country's zoos? There is so much good conservation work that could be achieved.
