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You Belong in a Zoo!: Tales from a Lifetime Spent with Cobras, Crocs, and Other Creatures
From catching alligators in the reservoirs of New York and capturing giant crocodiles in Venezuela and giant frogs in West Africa to finding mummified human heads in a Bronx apartment, eels on a bus, cobras on the loose, and crocodiles that make change—a memoir of one man’s career working with exotic reptiles and other animals.
After the teenage Peter Brazaitis brought home one creepy crawly creature too many, his stepmother declared, “You are an animal, and you belong in a zoo!” He took her at her word. He went directly from high school in Brooklyn to a job at the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo, where he stayed for more than thirty years, eventually becoming superintendent of reptiles. He later became curator of the Central Park Zoo, and continues to work with law enforcement as a forensic specialist in the fight to stop illegal importation and slaughter of reptiles for the luxury exotic-leather industry. (His effectiveness at this would earn him the moniker “The Bald-Headed Snake Keeper in the Bronx.”) You Belong in a Zoo! presents the amazing experiences Brazaitis has had in more than four decades of working with wild animals.
Enlightening, funny, and often outrageous, You Belong in a Zoo! is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at zoos, animal people, and some of nature’s most extraordinary creatures.
After the teenage Peter Brazaitis brought home one creepy crawly creature too many, his stepmother declared, “You are an animal, and you belong in a zoo!” He took her at her word. He went directly from high school in Brooklyn to a job at the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo, where he stayed for more than thirty years, eventually becoming superintendent of reptiles. He later became curator of the Central Park Zoo, and continues to work with law enforcement as a forensic specialist in the fight to stop illegal importation and slaughter of reptiles for the luxury exotic-leather industry. (His effectiveness at this would earn him the moniker “The Bald-Headed Snake Keeper in the Bronx.”) You Belong in a Zoo! presents the amazing experiences Brazaitis has had in more than four decades of working with wild animals.
Enlightening, funny, and often outrageous, You Belong in a Zoo! is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at zoos, animal people, and some of nature’s most extraordinary creatures.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2003
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124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 17, 2007
This memoir was a delight. Brazaitis worked in the New York Zoo system for his entire career, and tells a ripping good story. Some of the things that happened behind the scenes of the zoo are hilarious, and some are terrifying. His reminiscences kept me engaged. Some of the most interesting parts detail how far we have come in terms of keeping animals in captivity. If you like reptiles, you'll enjoy this book.
April 28, 2009
A charming, funny book about a herpetologist who has spent a lifetime working for zoos.
March 16, 2018
Fun reading
The book talks about the career of a zoo keeper. He first worked for the Bronx Zoo. Then he got involved when Central Park Zoo turned management over to the Bronx Zoo. The zoo then had a complete renovation. I used to visit both of these zoos. So it's kind of nice to read about the history of it.
There are plenty of interesting stories behind the scenes. The one that amuse me the most is when he accidentally knocked down a box full of mice. Instead of having to recapture all the mice himself which is quite a different job, he brought in a snake to take care of the problem. He then only have to recapture the snake. There's also stories of him using his taxidermy skills to fake exhibits when the animal suddenly died right before the show time.
The book talks about the career of a zoo keeper. He first worked for the Bronx Zoo. Then he got involved when Central Park Zoo turned management over to the Bronx Zoo. The zoo then had a complete renovation. I used to visit both of these zoos. So it's kind of nice to read about the history of it.
There are plenty of interesting stories behind the scenes. The one that amuse me the most is when he accidentally knocked down a box full of mice. Instead of having to recapture all the mice himself which is quite a different job, he brought in a snake to take care of the problem. He then only have to recapture the snake. There's also stories of him using his taxidermy skills to fake exhibits when the animal suddenly died right before the show time.
September 12, 2023
What a delightful book. The author tells his own story--how he transformed from a stubborn teen who hated school and ran with the fast crowd to become an admired, famed expert herpetologist running a major zoo. He educates the reader on all kinds of beasties that inspire fascination and fear: snakes, lizards, insects with his stories of adventures in learning to handle them safely, to recapture those that escape or have outsmarted their handlers, to advocate for them in various venues.
March 3, 2018
A wonderful book for those who love animals and stories of their interactions with us humans. Also great reading which follows the incrediblle life story of the zookeeper who started from very modest circumstances and became an expert herpetologist.
May 31, 2018
This book was full of comedy and lots of stories that helped guide me to the right career. I would recommend it to anyone considering zookeeping as a career
February 16, 2013
I found this book really interesting, however it took a few chapters to really 'get into it,' because the first few focus on the history of New York's zoos where as I was keen to get into the detail about the wildlife and his career.
The author's passion for, and knowledge about, reptiles is infectious, and I learned a lot about snakes in particular - an animal I knew little about previously.
If you're at all interested in finding out more about what goes into caring for zoo animals, then I recommend this book. It's full of incredulous tales about the public keeping incredibly dangerous animals, about how to handle dangerous reptiles and first hand research into wildlife conservation. It should also come with a warning that you might want to change your career after reading this.
The author's passion for, and knowledge about, reptiles is infectious, and I learned a lot about snakes in particular - an animal I knew little about previously.
If you're at all interested in finding out more about what goes into caring for zoo animals, then I recommend this book. It's full of incredulous tales about the public keeping incredibly dangerous animals, about how to handle dangerous reptiles and first hand research into wildlife conservation. It should also come with a warning that you might want to change your career after reading this.
November 2, 2016
You belong in a zoo was about Peter Brazaitis. This book goes through his life while giving facts about all the animals that he worked with. I believe that the theme is that you should follow your dreams. The Main part of the story is about Peter loving reptiles and working at the Bronx Zoo.
Peter Brazaitis organized thee text like a chapter book. I thing he did that to specifically to make the book more enjoyable. For my reading this makes it more enjoyable because otherwise the book becomes less interesting and I wouldn't read the book as much. If you looked at a chapter book and this book it would look the same.
Peter Brazaitis organized thee text like a chapter book. I thing he did that to specifically to make the book more enjoyable. For my reading this makes it more enjoyable because otherwise the book becomes less interesting and I wouldn't read the book as much. If you looked at a chapter book and this book it would look the same.
January 25, 2016
You Belong In A Zoo!: Tales From a Lifetime Spent With Cobras, Crocs, and other Creatures by Peter Brazaitis (Villard New York 2003) (Biography) is a series of recollections from a long-time reptile curator at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. The author was a self-taught naturalist with only a high school diploma until well into his zoo career; he talked his way into a job in the reptile house as a very young man. This is as much a story of the evolution of zoos and animal husbandry as it is an animal keeper's story. My rating: 7/10, finished 10/10/12.
March 26, 2016
My favorite book that I read in 2015 and in the top five I've ever read in 30 years. If more people read it, there would be much more widespread love and understanding for animals not human, and for the wild and preserving it would become much more important to people... if more people could read this book. If I were a school teacher of any subject, I would have this on my classroom library shelf no matter what, to recommend and be available to all students. I plan to buy it and read it over and over and buy it as a gift for others too.
June 23, 2013
An interesting book written by a man who worked his way up through the animal care field, from taxidermist to curator of the Central Park Zoo. Chock full of anecdotes about the various reptiles, birds, and polar bears (among others) he cared for. You can certainly tell that this man is devoted to the care and preservation of animals. A good book to read, especially for anyone considering a career in zoology.
October 10, 2007
This was a very different kind of book than I usually read. It is true stories taken from the life of Peter Brazaitis, a keeper and curator for New York zoos throughout his eventful life. Lots of stories of escaped reptiles, both in the zoo and out. Adventures out of the country acquiring new animals for the zoo. Lots of things. I guess I just prefer to read fiction...
August 4, 2008
I was disappointed by this memoir of a herpetologist's career with the Bronx and Central Park zoos. Having the chapters in non-chronological order irked me, and while some of the anecdotes were entertaining, others dragged noticeably.
July 13, 2011
If you like animals and non-fiction books, this is the one for you. It is full of interesting and often amusing stories of exotic animals. Despite having read it years ago, I still remember many of the author's tales of his life as a child and zoo director.
March 17, 2025
A great memoir which animal lovers will enjoy. The author's love for reptiles, and all animals, is clear in the prose. This book also provides an interesting look at how zoological institutions have changed over the years. Worth checking out.
October 10, 2007
nice, entertaining book
June 14, 2008
Wait til you read about the trenchcoated visitors to the Reptile House. Ewww!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2009
This book was awesome!!! I love it... Since I went to school to be a zoo keeper i could totally relate to him. I laughed multiple times throughout the reading!
December 16, 2015
A lot of fun info from another zoo curator. This book focuses mainly on reptiles but is still a really interesting read.
November 10, 2014
Lots of fun anecdotes about escaped venomous snakes, and pretty educational about reptiles and the day-to-day work of running a zoo.
March 8, 2018
One of my all time favorite books! Thanks Sue for the recommendation :-)
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews