The Department of Forestry in the Ministry of Agriculture is in the process of upgrading the island’s mini zoo.

Assistant Chief Forestry Officer, Alwin Dornelly, said while the mini zoo aids government’s wildlife management efforts, the recent expansion work will also help improve forestry officers’ knowledge of native species.

“We have a mini zoo which is a small collection of our native wildlife, and predominantly, that aspect of our wildlife management has been to help with our education and awareness,” Mr. Dornelly said. “So what we were seeking to do is not only to improve awareness of our native species with some of the animals that we keep in that confined space, but also to create a more open space for them and to upgrade the facilities that currently exist. So we came up with the term, the Wildlife Conservation and Education Centre as part of that entire effort, and we’ve had some construction to facilitate that effort and to manage the captive element of it. The new facility will also allow for the sale of food and other items to visitors, and we also hope to develop some type of marketing strategy for the improved facility.”

Pius Haynes, the Senior Wildlife Conservation Officer said the new conservation centre has a dual purpose.

“The two main focuses of the upgraded zoo is conservation and education,” Mr. Haynes said. “Biodiversity on a whole, are the organisms that help shape our lives. We live in an ecosystem with many different organisms and they all play an integral role in conditioning the environment and performing specific functions that would enable the environment to be resilient. So I would like to encourage fellow Saint Lucians to preserve our wildlife, protect them, and to seek to learn more about them.”

The mini zoo is part of a scenic tour that includes the Union Nature Trail, a forest hike where visitors can view a number of species native to Saint Lucia in both wild and captive habitats.