Navigate the Belize Zoo With a New Interactive Map  

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center cares for one hundred and sixty animals, representing forty-three native species. The thirty-acre wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility sees approximately forty-three thousand visitors on an annual basis. And, as of Sunday, those thousands of yearly visitors will be able to navigate the best little zoo in the world much easier. The zoo has partnered with Belizing.com to create an interactive map and information application that seeks to enhance the visitor experience. These new features will be launched on World Wildlife Conservation Day. News Five’s Paul Lopez got an exclusive look ahead of the launch on tonight’s installment of Belize on Reel. Here is that report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

When conservation and technology collide, innovation becomes the order of the day. The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has partnered with Belizing.com to launch a creative, digital application to enhance visitor’s experience.

 

Celso Pott, Director, The Belize Zoo

“We started to work on an interactive map. This stems from our participation in their innovative lab project where they developed digital integration plan for the Belize Zoo and proposed how we can move the Zoo forward towards digital technology.”

 

According to Celso Pott, the Director of the Belize Zoo, a static PDF map has been the only option available to visitors who request a layout of the zoo. Belizing.com has now created an interactive map that does way more than inform visitors where each animal is located.

 

 

Angela Wu, General Manger, Lets Go Belizing Limited

“We had to come, we came on multiple occasions. We had to map out the zoo, making sure that we have the coordinates right. We had to ensure that all the animals are where they are showing on the map, that way we are making sure that when people use it they could navigate to which animal they want to see.”

 

The interactive map is the main feature of the application. But it also includes other options such as the stories behind each animal housed at the zoo, daily scheduled activities and ways that users can become financial partners with the zoo. Today, we used the interactive map to find“Neo” The River Otter and to learn more about his story.

 

 

Angela Wu

“It’s a mobile first progressive web app. So anyone that has a mobile device and internet connection they can access the map. So when they go to the home page of the map they will be able to share the location and that way the GPS technology will be able to work and it has dynamic way finding, that way you could click on whatever animal you want to see and it will give you the direction to follow to get to that specific animal.”

 

 

Celso Pott

“You come to the zoo and you download with the QR code an interactive map. Interactive map because it will be your guide to the zoo. You tell it which animal you want yo see and it will tell you the way point to find that animal habitat. Once you reach there you can tap on a PDF to read more information about that animal.”

 

Pott explained that the app may prove most useful to individuals who are on tight schedules and have intentions to visit one or two specific animals at the zoo. Through the application they will be able to quickly locate these habitats and find the fastest route. Maria Mejia, the Chief Executive Officer at Let’s Go Belizing Limited shared additional features.

 

 

 

Maria Mejia, C.E.O., Lets Go Belizing Limited

“It has a real-time schedule when the zoo is open, what is available. It has guides that help to create customizable experiences for you at the zoo and it has a tour schedule, what tours are available at that time. I think it is not only going to transform not only the experience in terms of navigating the zoo, but being informed and educated about the different animals, but also being able to have a more efficient experience, especially for travelers who come, let’s say from the cruise and they want to stop by and have that experience, the app allows them to stop by and have that experience much more easier and efficient right.”

 

The application is set to be launched on Sunday during the Belize Zoo’s World Wildlife Conservation Day activities. As a nonprofit organization, the Belize Zoo relies on the support of visitors to sustain its conservation efforts. Pott believes that this enhanced experience shows visitors just how much their support means to zoo.

 

Celso Pott,

“This year’s world wildlife theme is connecting people and planet through digital innovation for wildlife conservation. So this digital interactive map ties perfectly with the theme for this year’s world wildlife day. The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is a not for profit organization, so we rely solely on the visitors fee and donation we receive and that money goes back into the work we do. Enhancing visitors experience is very important for them to support us. The cool thing with this interactive map is, if businesses want to support the zoo they can sponsor one of the pages. We can advertise for you at the Belize Zoo on these pages.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.