Sharon Matola (June 3, 1954 – March 21, 2021) was an American-born Belizean

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

environmentalist Environmentalism is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of Green politics, g ...

, and

zookeeper A zookeeper, sometimes referred as animal keeper, is a person who manages zoo animals that are kept in captivity for conservation or to be displayed to the public.Hurwitz, Jane. Choosing a Career in Animal Care (World of Work). New York: Rosen Gr ...

. She was the founding director of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, a zoo which was started in 1983 to protect native animals that had been used in a documentary film in

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

.http://www.bfbs-radio.com/pages/extranet/sharon-matola-i-1303.php, BFBS radio presenters, Sharon Matola, Retrieved September 6, 2010. Matola graduated from

New College of Florida New College of Florida is a public university, public liberal arts college in Sarasota, Florida, United States. The college is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. New College has the smallest student enrollment in the State U ...

in 1981 with a degree in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

Early life

Matola was born in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, on June 3, 1954. Her father was a sales manager for the

National Brewing Company The National Brewing Company was an American brewing company that was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1885. Its Baltimore brewery was located in the city's Highlandtown neighborhood. After World War II, it grew to be the largest brewer in Bal ...

and her mother was an administrative assistant. She showed great interest in animals and concern for their welfare from an early age. After graduating from high school, Matola enlisted in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, in which she received

jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

survival training Survival training is a theoretical and physical practice where participants aim to survive in the wilderness with as little means as possible. Survival training is used to teach survival skills or as a form of recreational activity in which individ ...

. She then studied

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

before transferring to the

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Ba ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, from which she received a bachelor's degree in biology in 1981; while at the college, she studied fish

taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

during a trip to Belize. After college, she became an assistant lion tamer at the Circus Hall of Fame before attending

graduate school Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...

to study

mycology Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungus, fungi, including their Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, genetics, biochemistry, biochemical properties, and ethnomycology, use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, Edible ...

. She left graduate school for a job as an

exotic dancer A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping m ...

in a

traveling circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobatics, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hooping, hoopers, tightrope walkers, juggling, jugglers, magic (illusi ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, hoping to do biological field work during the day before dancing at night.

Belize Zoo

Matola's job in Mexico brought her to the attention of filmmaker Richard Foster, who hired her in 1982 to care for 20 animals being used in the making of a wildlife documentary film. When shooting of the film was completed, she was left to decide how to dispose of the animals, by then habituated to humans and unsuited to release into the wild. On a whim, she decided to care for the animals by starting the Belize Zoo, hung signs out on the road, asked a nearby restaurant to coax patrons into visiting the zoo, and waited to see who would show up. She soon realized that what Belizeans knew about Belizean wildlife at the time was often more myth than fact and that they were unaware that damage to the Belizean

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

threatened the populations of Belizean animals. With the blessing of the

Government of Belize His Majesty's Government in Belize, also referred to as the Belizean Government is the democratic administrative authority of Belize, a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. It was formed in 1981 after gaining sovereignty from ...

, which could not offer financial support, she began raising money from

environmental groups An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces. In this sense the environme ...

to build and support the zoo. By 1996 the zoo was home to over 125 native species.Maynard, Caitlin and Thane: "Rainforests and Reefs: A Kid's Eye View of the Tropics." Zoological Society of Cincinnati, Inc., 1996. Singer-songwriter

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

and actor

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...

became supporters of the zoo. Before the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

struck in 2020, the zoo drew 75,000 visitors a year, half of them Belizeans, and in March 2021 the zoo housed 190 animals representing 45 species native to Belize, including the

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...

jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

spider monkey Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Ateles'', part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The g ...

coati Coatis (from Tupí), also known as coatimundis (), are members of the family Procyonidae in the genera '' Nasua'' and '' Nasuella'' (comprising the subtribe Nasuina). They are diurnal mammals native to South America, Central America, Mexico, ...

scarlet macaw The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') also called the red-and-yellow macaw, red-and-blue macaw or red-breasted macaw, is a large yellow, red and blue Neotropical parrot native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas. Its range extends from south ...

, jabiru stork, and two species of

crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...

. The zoo's staff numbered 58 people before the pandemic struck, but dropped to 32 by March 2021 as the pandemic raged. Thanks to her work at the zoo, Matola became known as the "

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English zoologist, Primatology, primatologist and Anthropology, anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremo ...

of jaguars" and the "Jane Goodall of Belize." The zoo eventually was renamed the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, reflecting its mission of teaching people about Belize's wildlife.

Other work

2009-12-31 BFBS-BFR Matola Music Show BATSUB Belize

Matola served as a consultant for the filming of the 1986 movie '' The Mosquito Coast'', bringing her and the Belize Zoo to the attention of Harrison Ford and prompting him to become a supporter. Matola fought unsuccessfully to stop Belize's Chalillo Dam project; the dam was constructed between 2002 and 2005. Her struggle was documented in the 2008 book ''The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird'' by

Bruce Barcott Bruce Barcott is an American editor, environmental journalist and author. He is a contributing editor of ''Outside'' and has written articles for ''The New York Times Magazine'', ''National Geographic'', '' Mother Jones'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ...

. Matola began to contribute to

BFBS The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides radio and television programmes for His Majesty's Armed Forces, and their dependents worldwide. Editorial control is independent of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces themselv ...

Radio in Belize in 1992, starting with a popular wildlife series called ''Walk on the Wildside'', in which she explored the lives of Belize's flora and fauna. She also had a weekly

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

radio show that she broadcast from Airport Camp — the home base for British Army Training and Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), in

Ladyville Ladyville is the largest village in the country of Belize, eight miles northwest of Belize City in the Belize District. The Philip Goldson Highway connects Ladyville to Belize City. History Although originally a separate settlement, Ladyville ...

, Belize — until August 2011, when the government of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

closed the camp. Matola wrote children's books centering around the character Hoodwink the

Owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

Personal life

Matola's marriage to Jack Schreier ended in divorce. She had no children. She became a naturalized Belizean citizen, and lived on the zoo's property. She said that her favorite animal was the

harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a large Neotropical realm, neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guin ...

Death

Matola died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at a hospital in

Belmopan Belmopan () is the capital city of Belize. Its population in 2010 was 16,451. Belmopan is the smallest capital city in the continental Americas (by population) and the third-largest settlement in Belize, behind Belize City and San Ignacio. Fou ...

, Belize, on March 21, 2021, at the age of 66.

In media

"The Reef...and the Rainforest," a 1992 episode of the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

television series ''

Return to the Sea ''Return to the Sea'' is the first studio album by Islands. It was released by Equator Records on 4 April 2006. "Rough Gem" was released as a single from the album. The remastered version of the album was released on 11 November 2016. Critical r ...

'', includes an interview with Matola and footage of the Belize Zoo.

References

External links

Belize Zoo

A Tribute to Sharon Matola – the Founder of the Belize Zoo (Channel 5 Belize, 23 March 2021)
/nowiki>]
Founder of Belize Zoo Sharon Matola Passes, CTV 3, March 22, 2021

Founder of the Belize Zoo Passes Away Love FM, March 22, 2021

How to Build the Best Little Zoo in the World , Sharon Matola , TEDxBelmopan, Jan 12, 2018

Bird Talk with King Vulture and Harpy Eagle at the Zoo, Channel 5 Belize, Apr 8, 2019

The Jaguar Rehabilitation Programme at the Belize Zoo, Channel 5 Belize, Apr 12, 2019

Sharon Matola's Story, Apr 18, 2012

Jungle Wonders of the Belize Zoo, ABC news, Retrieved September 6, 2010

''Return to the Sea'' Episode 206 "The Reef...and the Rainforest" at OceanArchives
(

Fair use Fair use is a Legal doctrine, doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Fair use is one of the limitations to copyright intended to bal ...

policy for video a
OceanArchives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matola, Sharon 1954 births 2021 deaths American emigrants to Belize American environmentalists American women environmentalists Belizean women Belizean conservationists Belizean biologists American women biologists Women founders 20th-century American biologists 21st-century American biologists Scientists from Baltimore Zookeepers Zoo directors 20th-century American women scientists 21st-century American women scientists Belizean women activists