And from protecting our valuable marine life to protecting our national animal… Since the John Smith Road was opened back in September, 5 tapirs have been victims of vehicles - knocked down and left for dead. It's an alarming situation since Tapirs are a protected species in Belize - and serve as a representation of the fauna found in the country.
The problem lies with the road itself - it goes through what used to be a corridor for plenty of wildlife and was built without the proper underpasses for these animals to safely move around. Combine that with a lack of lighting and speeding drivers and you get a recipe for mountain cow casualties.
The Belize Tapir Project's founder, Celso Poot, is now cautioning drivers to be more aware of the animals crossing the road.
Because of the increase in casualties, the Poot and other members of the project have ventured into the field to try and track these animals to better monitor their movements. But they've encountered a serious problem: thieves taking the cameras - and the data.
Poot explained that they will now lobby the government for wildlife crossing road signs and possibly speed bumps on that road.
