La Cueva de las Minas — Attraction in Chiquimula

First, they have an entrance fee. Which is fine because hopefully it goes to maintaining the so-called "Zoo". Second, the caves are nothing what the pictures show online and there are Natives burning wood and making smoke to blow into the entrance as they do their rituals making it difficult for anyone to even enter and walk into the cave (literally just a deep tunnel). Third, the "zoo" is very small and horribly maintained. The animals are in spaces that barely fit their size, 2 male lions kept together and another 2 circling a 4x4 size room for God knows what. They have some animals walking in their own feces the walls defecated where the owls and eagles are kept. It was very depressing. I shared a banana with some of the animals and they would swarm closer as if they had been starving. I regret having gone and paid, but now I can write this review to hopefully wake the owners up and wish they give them to someone who can free them/give them medical attention. I have some pictures to prove the state of this...

I was there with my family during Easter, 2004. It is indeed an awesome place to visit in Esquipulas, we travelled almost 12 hours from Honduras to Guatemala and as I went inside the caves I couldn't reach the end because of the lack of air, it's pretty dark inside but people leave candles on to guide you, the zoo is pretty awesome too I've never seen a buffalo before I was thrilled. This place is a must visit if you ever find yourself in...

No entiendo por qué tienen animales sacrificados aquí, literal están sacrificados por estar en espacios tan pequeños. Al ver al pobre búho me imaginé la tortura que debe ser que en el día la gente no te deja dormir con el ruido y queriendo llamar tu atención, y en la noche no poder estirar sus alas por estar encerrado, ese pobre animal no tiene ni descanso ni libertad, pero los que me sacaron lagrimas fueron un lorito dulce falto de compañía y cariño y las guacamayas, hicieron que me arrepintiera pagar para colaborar con su sufrimiento. Este lugar da para triunfar sin tener que explotar a esas pobres criaturas, es hermoso y amplio, no hay un ente regulador o algo que los obligue? Pobres animalitos, deberían estar al menos en espacios como el que tienen las avestruces, son los únicos que tienen...