Joya Grande Zoo — Attraction in Cortés

The Zoo Joya Grande (which stands for Big Jewel), lives up to its name.

The access to the zoo is quite complicated and tiring, since you have to drive between 40 to 60 min in a narrow dirt road in bad condition. The best rout to get to the zoo is by Santa Cruz the Yojoa Town, and not by the recommendation of Google Maps (since that route, although is the shortest, it lacks of informative signs and the road is accesible only for 4x4 vehicles with 4WD.

Once you get to the zoo, the tortuous trip is for got ten, as the facilites and entertainment are quite nice (I can take the courage to compare it with a Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but Honduras' version).

The entrance to the zoo is US$ 10 for adults, US$ 8 for seniors, US$ 5 for children (5 to 11 years old), and children under 5 years is free. And yes, you can pay with Creditcards.

There are many types of animals to see: ostrich, hippopotamus, tigers, lions, camels, birds, reptiles, etc.

The zoo is no longer supported by the Honduras goverment. So the visitors entrance payment is the only support the zoo has for the maintenance and care of the animals.

The Zoo Joya Grande deserves a 5 stars rating, but the conditions of access, make it get a 4...

Well, the story goes that this zoo belonged to some drug lords, the government took it from them and they kept it open as per the people request, the charge is pretty cheap and you pay in Honduras money.

If you're are in San Pedro Sula, it's like an hour and a half away, once you get off the highway the road becomes a little rough, you'll love the view and the people that live around it. Go comfortable and bring water, you'll be doing a lot of walking.

Now, the animals here you'll only see them on TV or in this zoo, I mean they have animals that you only see at the Zahara, , Africa, Rocky Mountains, really exotic animals, like the white tiger, camels (at least 3 different types), hippopotamus, zebras, giraffes, tigers, lions, buffalo, dear, wilder beast, Pony Horses, Lots of Macaw with different colors and sizes, Peacocks walking around and in trees, panthers, cougars, I mean a lot of different and exotic animals.

It seems since the government took over, the animals conditions are not the best according to the locals, this is a place for you to go and see the animals, don't expect much attention, they have kids area with pool and a few...

I visited “Joya Grande Zoo,” and it was an incredibly depressing experience. The animals are not well cared for, and they are constantly crying out from hunger. The place reeks of feces and urine, showing clear neglect. The conditions are heartbreaking, and it’s evident that the animals are not receiving the care they desperately need.

Since the zoo was closed down due to workers not being paid, the situation has only worsened. This is the fault of the government and the Oficina Administradora de Bienes Incautados (OABI). It doesn’t matter who owned these animals in the past—what matters is that they are cared for now, and they are not. The government and OABI have a responsibility to ensure these poor animals are treated with dignity and compassion.

Justice needs to be served for these creatures. In fact, it seems like the animals were better off under their previous owners. It’s a shame that they are now living in such dire, hunger-stricken conditions. Some of them are even dying. This is a tragedy, and action must be taken to save these animals from further suffering.

—————————- Visité el “Joya Grande Zoo” y fue una experiencia increíblemente deprimente. Los animales no están bien cuidados y constantemente lloran de hambre. El lugar huele a heces y orina, lo que muestra un claro abandono. Las condiciones son desgarradoras, y es evidente que los animales no están recibiendo la atención que necesitan desesperadamente.

Desde que cerraron el zoológico debido a la falta de pago a los trabajadores, la situación solo ha empeorado. Esto es culpa del gobierno y de la Oficina Administradora de Bienes Incautados (OABI). No importa quién fue dueño de estos animales en el pasado; lo que importa es que sean cuidados ahora, y no lo están siendo. El gobierno y la OABI tienen la responsabilidad de garantizar que estos pobres animales sean tratados con dignidad y compasión.

Es necesario que se haga justicia para estas criaturas. De hecho, parece que los animales estaban mejor bajo el cuidado de sus antiguos dueños. Es una vergüenza que ahora vivan en condiciones tan desesperadas y llenas de hambre. Algunos incluso están muriendo. Esto es una tragedia, y se deben tomar medidas para salvar a estos animales del...