Belize Appears in Reputable Environmental Magazine


Belize City, Monday, July 5th , 2004 Belize was prominently featured in a 10-page article in the June 2004 edition of Audubon Magazine, a magazine that is published bi-monthly in New York and has a circulation of 474,414. It covers news of the natural world and offers views on environmental problems and propose solutions.

The featured article on Belize, entitled "Top Cat", contained approximately 10 pages of colorful photos of the jaguar coupled with significant data on the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize - the world's first jaguar reserve, and as such, the throttlehold for this rare cat. The article also featured the significance of preserving wildlife and conservation in Belize, especially with the presence of a rare animal such as the jaguar. Attention was also drawn on the importance of community involvement as a means of sustainability and success of preservation.

The Audubon magazine considers Belize as one of the few places just a few hours' flight from the United States where preserving habitat not only means protecting birds and wildlife, but also growing the local economy as well.

"The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary continues to be a very popular national park in Belize, as statistics show that over 10,000 tourists from around the world visited the sanctuary last year alone, comments Tourism Minister, Mark Espat. "Belize boasts a diverse population of wildlife and one-fifth of the country's landmass has been designated as nature reserves. The publicity attained from such articles, contributes to increased awareness of Belize's inland attractions and efforts in the international marketplace and draws attention to the work employed locally to strengthen same," Espat noted.

This magazine also assists readers appreciate, understand, and protect the environment, and has a particular focus on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats. The article was written by Susan McGrath and photographed by James Balog who visited the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and the Belize Zoo in February of this year.

In related news, the Belize Audubon Society (BAS) recently released a ten-minute video/DVD as a part of their national public awareness campaign. BAS hopes to introduce as many Belizeans as possible to the natural wonders housed within our country and through advocacy and education increase acceptance and participation of the areas set aside to protect the natural wonders of Belize.