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You Belong in a Zoo!: Tales from a Lifetime Spent with Cobras, Crocs, and Other Creatures

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It isn't true that Peter Brazaitis loves crocodiles. He had to make this plain when he was under attack while on the stand in a trial against a crocodile skin importer. The defense attorney insisted, "Isn't it true that you love crocodiles so much that you would say anything, do anything, to protect them?" Brazaitis feigned naïveté, and asked, "Would you like me to put my feelings into perspective?" and the attorney took the bait. Brazaitis said simply, "I love my wife. I like crocodiles." The judge and jury laughed, the defense attorney, turned scarlet, and the defendant lost the case. This is just one of the funny stories of a working herpetologist and zoo curator from Brazaitis's book, _You Belong in a Zoo!: Tales from a Lifetime Spent with Cobras, Crocs, and Other Creatures_ (Villard). This is a breezy, delightful memoir that may be short on introspection but is long on enthusiasm and amusement. It has plenty of interesting information about the peculiarities of animals involved, especially the human variety.

The title comes from Brazaitis's upbringing. His stepmother eventually became frustrated with his aimless adolescent living and exclaimed, "You are an animal, and you belong in a zoo!" Brazaitis says that out of spite more than anything else, he took her words literally, and immediately wrote the Curator of Reptiles at the Bronx Zoo to apply for a job. After all, Brazaitis liked animals, especially the kind that "... had scales and everyone else was afraid of." To his surprise (and that of his stepmother) he got the job. It was at the very lowest rung of the ladder, "as a broom-pushing, turtle-feeding, glass- cleaning, often terrified reptile keeper at one of the most prestigious zoos in the world." He worked his way up, and he makes clear that it was work, and often dangerous. He has been bitten by a snake exactly one time, while he, as a young keeper, was feeding an Okinawan habu snake. It turned out that it was a dry bite, or only a puncture from the un-envenomed secondary teeth. He is embarrassed about the incident, and ashamed of the many morons (a favorite word of his) who brag about being bitten by a poisonous snake without eventual harm. He is proudest of his professional achievement of instructing zoologists how to tell the sex of crocodiles. The wealth of stories here do not have just to do with captive animals. One New Year's Eve he was called out by the police to help with an apartment full of spiders and snakes which they had to enter as a crime scene. His job was to make the place safe for the police to enter, to investigate the two dead humans also in the apartment.

There are funny stories here, like the letter of complaint he had to handle when he was curator at the Central Park Zoo, from a concerned member of the public who thought that a keeper should be stationed at the monkey cage and use a cattle prod whenever the monkeys engaged in sexual behavior. There are scary stories, too. One of the chapter titles says plenty: "The King Cobra's Gone!" It details a harrowing three-day search for one of the most poisonous snakes in the world which had slipped its cage. There is the puzzling mystery of the disappearing and returning snakes and snake food, tales of how you transport crocodiles and frogs, and instructions on the care and feeding of the zoo patrons. There are understated concerns about the environment and the futures of the species he has cared for. He worries about the current commercial climate that says that animals valuable for trade need conservation, but other animals need even less concern. This is a funny, thoughtful, jauntily-written book, and will, as the author hopes, inspire those with a sense of adventure and a feeling that they are different from the rest.

As a child, Peter Brazaitis' stepmom told him "You belong in a zoo!" He decided she had a point.

This book is part biography, part recollection of interesting episodes in his career. Brazaitis went on to work at the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo in New York, and his specialty is reptiles.

Many people find scaly animals to be scary or repulsive, but Brazaitis helps to bring some uunderstanding and fondness for them to the reader. He has a talent for storytelling. He raises the tension in a scary story about an escaped cobra. He transports you to a very different kind of society as he describes a trip to capturte goliath frogs in Africa. He brings insight into how zoos are run and how they've evolved. And more than once he gets a lot of chuckles from landmark human stupidity. (Such as the lawyer with a unique idea about the digestive + reproductive systems, or the true pinheads who seem to think venomous snakes make for interesting pets.)

If you're interested in animals, you'll find "You Belong in a Zoo!" to be an excellent read.

"You Belong in a Zoo" is Peter Brazaitis' tale of his storied career caring for and studying reptiles. Brazaitis' served as Superintendant of reptiles at the Bronx Zoo and as Curator of the Central Park Zoo, and has also acted as an advocate for endangered reptiles through his work to prevent the illegal importation and killing of these animals. Brazaitis of course has a wealth of stories to tell - some humorous, some frightening, and some a combination of the two. After describing 15 foot long King Cobras capable of rising to look a full grown man in the eye, Brazaitis relates the story of his attempt to capture one of these fascinating but deadly creatures by precariously balancing above a pool of crocodiles to reach the ceiling panel where the snake is hiding. Brazaitis' take on reptiles, and animals in general, is interesting. He obviously has a deep respect and admiration for animals, especially the reptiles he has spent a lifetime studying, but his view of animals seems different from that of some of the more radical animal rights activists. One could also argue that Brazaitis' work - especially his work with customs officials to stop the smugggling of endangered reptiles - has done more good than some of the antics of the more extreme members of PETA, for example. Brazaitis writes in an earnest style with some dry wit thrown in, and this style is quite effective in relating the story of his career. "You Belong In a Zoo" is an entertaining tale of reptiles and other animals, and an enjoyable autobiography of a man who has obviously "found his niche" in caring for these creatures.

As a former zoo keeper, I enjoyed this book
especially, but this is not only a book for the zoo community.
Everybody, who likes reptiles, will have fun reading it, a book full of experience, anecdotes ,facts and respect to the animals Pete Brazaitis kept at the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Wildlife Center, NYC.
Highly recommended!

Ralf Sommerlad
Vice-Chair
DGHT's Crocodilian Working Group

When I read this book, I didn't think it would be hilarious--but it is. I laughed so hard I cried. What can you say about a man bested by Mack the macaw? The bird tore all the buttons off the author's shirt and pretended to be the head reptile keeper and terrorized the workers by mimicking the boss's yells for assistance. And the unfortunate fellow who had a chipmunk down his pants! Or even the author's graduation, when he was wearing the wrong colored hat! There are serious parts, too, and they give a lot of information about the zoo animals. I think this is a great book for young people--or anyone else--who's ever loved a trip to the zoo.

You Belong In A Zoo!: Tales From A Lifetime Spent With Cobras, Crocs And Other Creatures is the one-of-a-kind memoir of Peter Brazaitis, a man who dedicated his life to working with exotic reptiles and other animals, ranging from alligators in the reservoirs of Florida, to cobras on the loose, to capturing giant frogs in West Africa. A wry dash of humor flavors an inspired and informative discourse. You Belong In A Zoo! is a life story highly recommended to the attention of anyone with an interested in reptilian wildlife as a hobby or as a potential career.

Brazaitis brings you on a journey that makes you feel as if you are along for the ride! If you are into comedic actions and edge of your seat laughter, Brazaitis tells his tales with a twist of humor that only a man of his travels can! After all, you have to have a great sense of humor, and skill, to tangle in the bush with the most dangerous reptiles in the world and brush it aside as just a day in "Central Park"! I highly recommended this book not only for its educational value but also for its inspirational tale from a boy who just liked reptiles to the man who evolved into an "original croc hunter"!

This book is highly entertaining and very well written. It is full of funny stories from Peter's experiences working at the zoo and various adventures in Africa and South America. Even if cobras, crocs, and snakes are not your favorite exhibits at the zoo, this book is worth reading for any animal lover. After reading the book, I bought copies for my sisters. Also full of "fun" facts about king cobras!

This is a must read for people with herpetological interests. It's also a great read for people with a love of animals who knew New York from the mid-1950s until now. Peter Brazaitis writes not only with a high degree of expertise about animals but with a wry sense of humor that is both charming and captivating. It's hard to read this without thinking..."Gee...I wish that I'd have met and known him. I'm sure that I'd like him."

I'm a total herp nut, so this book was right up my alley. It was easy, interesting reading and read like the author was there talking to me, telling stories about his life and experiences. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to go into zookeeping, regardless of if they see themselves working with herps or not. Incompitent bosses, visitors you'd like to chuck head first into the [carnivorous animal] exhibit, never enough money, escaped animals...it doesn't matter what species you work with, you *will* encounter all of that and more. All keepers need to have their minds on what they're doing and check the locks and follow directions, and Pete's herp house stories clearly illustrate why and what can happen when you're sloppy.