I have visited the Corbin Local Wildlife park three times now, and each time presented a different experience. Visitors from abroad have said that this tour was one of the highlights of their trip to Tobago. I never get tired of going there. These photos were taken in March 2026. Many thanks to Gillian Heather for several of these pictures.
The road up to the park is pretty steep and narrow in places and I wouldn’t want to drive there in the rainy season without a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Here is a video of the complete tour by Trini Surfer. Note that locals have a much lower entrance price than foreigners.
Michael Corbin met us this time as our tour guide. He is the son of Roy Corbin who founded this wildlife reserve. Here he is holding local fresh-water turtles, a rare Scorpion Mud Turtle and a larger one, commonly known as a Galap. The purpose of the centre is to rehabilitate injured wild animals and also to breed endangered species, with the aim of releasing them back into the wild, if appropriate. The Red-Eared Slider turtles in another cage are invasive so they would not be allowed to interact with our own wildlife. They are descended from escaped pets.
Similarly, this Wedge-Capped Capuchin monkey is not indigenous to Trinidad & Tobago, and was brought over from Venezuela and sold as a pet. The owners realised that they couldn’t handle the animal anymore and brought him to Corbin. There are no local monkeys in Tobago.
This Red Brocket Deer is from Trinidad and is no longer found in the wild in Tobago. It is being cared for by the centre. It would be good if a breeding pair could be established here.
Also, this ocelot was injured in Trinidad and is recovering here. Ocelots used to roam in Tobago but became extinct on the island. Maybe it could be paired with the other ocelot that is recouping from gunshot wounds in Trinidad.
Trinbagonians are known to eat any kind of wild meat, and hunters are confined to a hunting season from October to February to allow the animals to breed. Here are some popular species that are considered to be local delicacies, now protected at Corbin’s Local Wildlife: Manicou or opossum, Agouti, Tattoo or armadillo, Quenk or wild hog (not related to pigs)
Other notable animals in the park are caiman, boa constrictor snakes, and tortoises. The caiman arrived on their own when the ponds were filled with water. There are no venomous snakes in Tobago.
There are birds to see too. Here is a pair of Cocricos and an Orange-Winged Amazon or green parrot, sharing a cage. The Cocrico is the national bird of Tobago and is protected, though it is considered a pest because it eats crops. This Orange -Winged Amazon parrot is the only native parrot to Tobago. The juvenile Black Hawk Eagle was just visiting. It is not a native of Tobago, but is resident in Trinidad.
There are always other animals to observe, like red-tailed squirrels and sally painter lizards. They also offer forest trail hikes and bird/butterfly watching. So, put Corbin Local Wildlife park on your list of must-sees on Tobago. You can contact them as follows:
Corbin Local Wildlife
68 Belmont Farm Road,
Mason Hall, Tobago
8am to 6pm
Book your visit at corbinlocal@admin
or call/WhatsApp at +1 868-327-4182
