The Greater Grison (Galictis vittata) is found in Mexico throughout Central America and into South America. Although they have a large range they are hardly seen in the wild. The Grison comes from the French word “gris” meaning “grey”

This rare mammal is part of the mustelidae family, and is related to the otters, tayras and ferrets. The Grison is seldom seen in the wild. They inhabit terrestrial habitats found in rainforests, grasslands and riverine forests.

The Grison’s coat consists of long, soft hair. A white stripe runs from its forehead over the ears as far as the shoulders and separates its black face and chest from its gray back. Its general appearance is ferret-like.

The Grison has a long body and short legs, but with a distinct color pattern. The head and body of an adult Grison measures approximately 20 inches in length, and has an additional 6-7 inches of tail length. An adult Grison weighs about ten pounds.

These rare carnivores hunt during both day and night for small birds, eggs, invertebrates and even fruits.

On October 28th 2004, the zoo saw the arrival of a pair of baby Grisons, only a few weeks old. Upon the Grisons arrival at the zoo, they were fed with warm milk and other supplements. Still being very dependent on the mother, these little pups required constant feeding and attention for their survival. Katie Stephens from BATSUB, a regular “zoo crew” assistant, volunteered to take on the duty.

As the pups grew and became independent, the zoo started preparations for a new and spacious home.

On September 20th 2005, the two handsome Grisons, “Bill and Larry” were placed in their new home. They can now be seen live on-site at the zoo where they are constantly delighting our visitors.

“Slingshot Arrives At The Belize Zoo!!!"

In early December, officials from the Forest Department brought a badly injured Osprey to TBZ. Sadly, he will never fly again. Why? A young guy was spotted shooting the Osprey with a slingshot, not far from Belize City. Too bad for the Osprey, that this person does not use his slingshot skills on other targets that are not part of the living world. “Slingshot” as he was named, is receiving diligent care from both our vet, Dr. Eduardo Tesucum and our animal management crew, who are making certain that Slingshot eats his fish fillet every day.

We hope to see Slingshot become a dynamic part of our Environmental Education program. He will make quite a contribution, teaching people that the Osprey is one of our many important species and deserves a life of freedom and flight in the wild.