Monkey River

Monkey River Town is the northernmost village in the Toledo District. This small, sleepy Creole village sits on the southern bank of the mouth of the Monkey River.

The village is very rustic, the houses are mainly wooden, few being made from concrete. A police station, which is rarely used, is on the east end. The entire village has one community center, one school, one church, two shops, two hotels, and two restaurants. A small boardwalk borders the lagoon at the back where fishermen dock their boats. A roving sand bar protects the river mouth. Wide sandy beaches stretch out along the entrance of the river and the east side of the village. Monkey River is not just a village or town, but also home to the Black Howler Monkey, Alouatta pigra which are also known in Belize as the "baboon". They are also the largest monkey in the country and one of the largest in the Americas.

Black howler monkeys live in groups of between 4 and 8 members. Each troop has its own territory in which it feeds and lives. The size of the territory depends on the size of the troop, ranging from 3 to 25 acres. Baboons defend this territory from other troops through vocalization. Their howling is one of the loudest sounds in the tropical forest of Belize